Who has access to public health care and under which conditions?
To access public health care in Greek hospitals for medical emergency cases you do not need a social insurance number (PAYYPA or AMKA) and you also do not need to have valid papers!!! You also do not need to pay for emergency health care! In any case, if you are undocumented there is always a risk that hospital employees may report you to the police, while this is not common practice.
To call an ambulance for a medical emergency contact 166 and be ready to share information on the address where the patient is to be found, the name, family name and age/sex of the person as well as a short description of the medical emergency case (i.e. fever, epileptic crisis, birth pain in proceeded pregnancy, heart pain, breathing problems, injury etc.). It’s best if the person who calls speaks Greek or English. If you live in a camp, inform the employees present about the emergency and ask them to make the call. Be ready to send one person along with the patient who speaks Greek or English if possible and have in mind that they will have to return at their own cost i.e. by public transportation after treatment or hospitalisation. They should also not forget to take their asylum applicant cards or residence permits with them as well as any prior medical documents of the patient - if they exist. Be aware that after emergency health care no medical papers are shared with patients generally.
Any regular medical examinations, treatment, therapy in public hospitals (other than emergencies) can be only accessed with a social insurance number (PAAYPA/AMKA) that you get once you applied for asylum in form of a temporary insurance number (PAAYPA) and hold an asylum applicant card. When you are recognised as a refugee, your PAAYPA will be deactivated within one month and you should ask the National Social Security Fund (EFKA) to change your PAAYPA number into an AMKA within one month.
Attention! Since the last law changes in early 2024, receiving an AMKA has become a major obstacle. It is only provided to persons who can bring proof of future/current employment. Until the June 2025 this problem has not been resolved despite repeated announcements of the authorities to issue a new law and end this problem.
Public health care for insured patients is free of charge! Only in a few cases special examinations have to be paid by the patient. Check the electronic prescription for the examinations (handed to you as a paper by your examining doctor) for possible charges!
With the PAAYPA or AMKA number you can call 1535 for booking appointments in public hospitals or 14884 to book appointments in smaller local hospitals (called PEDY). You need to speak Greek to follow the instructions of the call system or talk directly to an employee! Larger hospitals often provide broader technical equipment, more specialised staff and options for examinations. They also usually provide for translation, however the translators are not always available and not all languages are provided. The smaller hospitals often give quicker appointments but do not offer translation services. You need to bring along a person speaking Greek.
Children are treated up to the age of 13 in child hospitals and from 14 years and above in the regular hospitals. The large hospitals provide also for social workers that may get involved to assist you or your child if needed. If a social worker has been introduced to you, ask for the name and contact number in case you may need to stay in contact after leaving the hospital.
If you live in a camp, the doctors, nurses and psychologists of the National Public Health Organization (EODY) offer first medical care for residents. Usually the medical services are very basic and only little medication can be provided. Address the doctor with your medical needs and ask for a referral to a public hospital for specialised examinations and therapy and prescriptions of medicine. The doctor will book you an appointment at a specific hospital. The date, time and address will be shared with you. If your camp provides buses, ask for a ticket to be able to attend the medical appointment. Many women report problems when trying to follow up their medical problems such as transportation costs, orientation problems, lack of translators etc. Despite all these difficulties, try to uphold those appointments in hospitals and keep all your medical documents safe and together. Specialised medical help can be provided also for free from different NGOs (see below). Addressing additionally one of those NGOs may be helpful for you as you will have a trusted specialised doctor following up on your medical history and professional accessible translators. It is specifically helpful if you have currently no access to the public health system (as you have no valid documents and/or no functioning social insurance number) but urgently need treatment. Prescriptions for medication are issued on your social insurance number and handed to you in printed form. Always make a photo with your phone of any prescription you got before visiting a pharmacy as they may keep it.
Attention! Any medical examination gets the best results if you share all relevant information with the doctor. Once the doctor comes, explain by yourself: the symptoms, how long you suffer from them and in which times of the day or under which circumstances they appear and with which frequency. Inform the doctor if you already have any medical diagnosis (also psychological problems may be relevant), show all medical documents you may already hold and if you visit a pediatrician always bring along your child’s vaccination booklet! It’s easier if you think about this information before going to the doctor so you are ready to share it during the visit from the very first moment as often there is not so much time. Try also to recall if when the symptoms appeared first something extraordinary had happened in your life, for example if the symptoms were noticed from birth or small childhood, if you had an accident or there was a very emotional/traumatising event in your life shortly before or after the first symptoms, if you were living in this period under very poor conditions (homeless, no regular access to food/water or toilets/showers) etc. Bring along also any medication you are taking or explain what you were taking. The doctor may also ask you if you have any allergies and if you are currently possibly in a pregnancy or breastfeeding as this information is crucial to understand which examinations can be conducted and which medication you cannot take.
Attention! Since the Corona pandemic there are more restrictions as to who and how many persons can accompany you to a medical appointment. In many cases, you cannot bring along your minor children and there is also no place inside or outside the hospitals to leave them protected while you have your medical appointment. If possible, arrange beforehand for a safe place to leave your child/children protected during your medical appointments.
Attention! Your health has priority at all times. If possible, prioritise your health over shame or other issues, or seek further help to find the best possible option for your health care in respect of your wishes and needs.
Attention! Doctors have sworn an oath to protect health and it is their job to aim for your best. If you are advised urgent medical treatment, stay in hospital or even an operation don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion by another doctor (if possible) and latest when you get the same medical opinion again follow the advice. Sometimes we hear women hesitating because they don’t know what to do with their children during their treatment or because they are about to leave Greece. You can discuss solutions on where to leave your children protected with a social worker or trusted friend. Concerning the idea of undergoing the treatment in the country you aim to move to, discuss this option with your Greek doctor to understand the urgency and with your lawyer to better estimate when you will be actually able to leave Greece.
Attention! When moving to another EU country it’s important to bring along your Greek medical documents and show them to authorities and doctors there in order to enter faster medical care or therapy. In any case, authorities in the other EU country may proceed only slowly with your referral to doctors and doctors may insist on making their own examinations, so your treatment may not start as soon as you expect and you should consider this when making your decision for the best of your health. If you are sick or your health is in danger you cannot take good care also of your asylum procedure and - in case you have children - you may not be in the best situation to fulfil your obligations towards them in their best interest.
What rights do I have as a woman receiving healthcare?
In general, you decide if you need to visit a doctor and which doctor and which treatment is ok for you. You can ask to see a female doctor, but there are not always female doctors available. Often waiting times for medical appointments in public hospitals can be weeks or even months (this is the same for Greek people too). Requesting a female doctor may create further delays.
You decide who is allowed to touch you, when and how. During medical examinations doctors in public hospitals are not always sensitive to cultural differences or individual issues connected to privacy/shame and your body. For a competent examination you will need to cooperate with the instructions of the doctor as long as they are reasonable. You may need to take off your scarf or make parts of your body naked for short periods during examination or x-rays.
I am pregnant, what can I do?
If you assume or know that you are in a pregnancy it is crucial to conduct all necessary medical examinations and follow doctor’s / midwife’s advice for the best of your baby and yourself! Do not forget also postnatal medical care, that supports you and your baby the first weeks after birth!
If you have no valid documents in Greece as you just arrived newly and haven’t managed to register your asylum claim or because you have received a rejection and haven’t filed yet an appeal or subsequent application successfully, you can still access emergency medical care in public hospitals if you have pain during pregnancy or need to check on the babies medical situation for other reasons or if you suffer from postnatal medical emergencies. You can also address specialised NGOs such as AMURTEL or Doctors without Borders. (See contacts bellow) More regular follow-ups are available in public hospitals upon holding an active social insurance number (PAAYPA or AMKA).
First it is important that you visit an obstetrician / gynecologist or midwife to get a first check-up and a written confirmation of your pregnancy with the calculated current pregnancy weeks, the expected delivery date and any comments on you or your baby’s health or possible pregnancy risk factors. For this, a brief medical history will be taken. You will be asked when was the first day of your last period, how many times you have been pregnant and how many births you gave and if these were natural births or cesarians. Additionally you have to mention if to your knowledge you suffer from any chronic or transmittable diseases or allergies. Most likely you will be prescribed some food supplements such as Iron and folic acid or also magnesium for the time of your pregnancy. Regular ultrasounds will be conducted to follow-up on your pregnancy.
When you are closer to your due date your doctor or midwife will check which hospital is on duty during that month. Upon first signs of labour call an ambulance on 166 and try to be accompanied by somebody who speaks Greek or English. If this is not possible, it is good to have a paper with you with basic information on your pregnancy weeks and any complications you may have experienced written in Greek or English. Also bring along all medical test 78 results and certificates you have collected during your pregnancy. Depending on if you give birth naturally or with a caesarean and your and your babies health condition after birth you will be hospitalised usually between 2-4 days. If your child or you need further medical care, you may either both or one of you remain in hospital longer. After leaving hospital visit your midwife or doctor regularly for proper follow-up.
Attention! After birth and while hospitalised you will receive instructions from doctors, nurses and/or midwives on the proper care and hygiene for you and your baby. As often there are no translators available, know that they always advise to carefully clean the bellybutton of the baby daily. Wash your hands first, then use proper disinfectant liquid and sterile compresses (get them from a pharmacy if possible) and pat it dry (don’t rub it). If you notice red spots, swelling or ulcerous liquids/crusts show the bellybutton to a nurse or doctor.
Attention! If you are homeless and give birth in a Greek hospital, the social workers are obliged to act in the best interest of the child. That means that they cannot let the baby become homeless (leave the hospital with you and have no shelter), so they will have to take it under provisory care in an orphanage until you manage to find housing and can provide the relevant proof to the competent public prosecutor who has taken temporary custody for your child. You have a right to know where your child is sheltered and you can ask for a permit from the social workers in the children’s home to visit it. If this has happened to you, seek support from an NGO to find a shelter for yourself, for assistance to communicate with the involved child care actors and the responsible public prosecutor, regain child custody and take your baby back.
Attention! You decide if and when you wish to have kids. If you are pregnant and wish to stop your pregnancy, you have the right to access safe abortion care. Abortion in Greece is allowed within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, if there are signs of serious embryo abnormalities the time limit is within the first 24 weeks and if you are a survivor or rape, child sexual molestation or incest within the first 19 weeks. In this case you will need an official decision of a public prosecutor. An abortion can be conducted in public hospitals for free. If you don’t want to get pregnant you can ask a doctor for advice on contraceptives and family planning. In Greece common contraceptive methods are: condoms, pills, spiral or intrauterine devices. You can decide for yourself if you want to use contraceptive methods.
I am a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM), where can I get help?
Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. While today it is estimated that 200 million girls and women in more than 30 countries are affected, in Greece (likewise other EU countries) any form of it is considered a human rights violation and, thus, in asylum law it is included as a category of “vulnerability”. At the same time, practicing female circumcision is punishable by law.
If you have undergone female genital mutilation, you may suffer in mid and long-term from problems while urinating or during menstruation, scar tissue and keloid, cysts, frequent infections or even infertility as well as psychological problems (i.e. depression, post traumatic stress disorder - PTSD). Further, female circumcision can create sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.) and increased risk of childbirth complications (difficult delivery, excessive bleeding, caesarean section, need to resuscitate the baby, etc.) as well as increased risk of newborn death.
If you notice any of the above-mentioned symptoms or medical problems and/ or if you wish to get more information on this topic as you are affected, you can contact a doctor and seek consultation and probably treatment. Ask for an appointment with a (female) gynecologist for example at the Doctors without Borders (MsF) in Athens (see contacts below) where translation is secured in many languages and doctors are well-informed on FGM.
Where can I vaccinate my child?
If your child has a social insurance number (PAAYPA or AMKA), you can access vaccinations at public hospitals and public medical centers. Vaccinations can also be accessed at Mother¬Child centers or at different NGOs (see contacts below).
Attention! You will be asked to show your child’s vaccination booklet. Bring along any booklets you have from your country of origin, country of temporary stay and/or Greece. If for whatever reason you have no vaccination booklet, you will be asked if your child has already been vaccinated before and when was the last time. This is because child doctors want the best for your child and thus try to avoid double vaccination. Sometimes they deny vaccination when proof of prior vaccination is not available as they feel a lack of sufficient information to do the best for your child. In this case, consult one of the NGOs named below for further help. Generally, when your child is of younger age and frequency for vaccinations is higher, it is anyway good to follow-up through one of the NGOs below. If vaccination appointments are booked by camp doctors for your child, tell them to always book in the same hospital if possible. Also try to bring along somebody to translate to Greek or English for you in case your appointments are booked in smaller hospitals (PEDY) where translation is not available.
Attention! If you reside in a camp the government’s competent health service EODY is providing for doctors. But you can find contacts to medical NGOs in the contact page.