Economic and Health Effects from Migrating Populations

Greece’s national health system is called upon to meet the challenge of a large volume of migrant populations with particular pathogenesis while meeting the health needs of the domestic population. The aim of this paper is to present, through a review of the literature, the internal and external operating environment of the National Health System (NHS) in Greece, with emphasis on the period from the advent of the economic crisis and the signing of the first memorandum of rescue of the Greek economy until today. The review of the literature comprehensively outlined with particular emphasis on the challenges that have emerged since the arrival of the economic (2009) and migration (2014) crises until today. A methodological framework of four distinct and sequential research stages was chosen. The sample used was 224 and included health professionals working in public health. The health professionals came from all levels of public health (primary, secondary and tertiary health care) and were drawn from the medical, nursing and paramedical staff of each health facility. The data was entered into the specialized online platform Survs.com. It seems that health professionals in public health are quite often confronted with refugees and asylum seekers in their daily work especially in the primary healthcare sector. The pathogenesis of migrant populations varies and it seems that health professionals are also confronted with particular pathological entities that are uncommon in the general population. The Greek population, still suffering from the effects of the economic crisis (such as over-taxation and wage cuts) without adequate information, may see refugees/asylum seekers as a cause of expenditure of precious national resources.