Greece is the country of “Xenios Zeus”, the Ancient Greek god of foreigners and hospitality; however, it is also the main point of entry to Europe. Since the beginning of 2014, 1,112,332 refugees crossed the borders of Greece. Overall, 33,677 children and adolescent refugees sought asylum in Greece from 2013 to 2017, while 57,042 refugees are currently being hosted. The rapid entry of refugees into Greece raised the critical issue of health policy. The Greek National Health Service (NHS) faces many challenges. Adequate economic and human support is essential if this situation is to be managed successfully. However, Greece still bears the burden of the economic downturn since 2009. In fact, the crisis led to shortages in crucial equipment, and unmet health needs for both locals and refugees. The NHS deals with traumatic experiences, as well as cultural and linguistic differences. Overcrowded reception centers and hotspots are highly demanding and are associated with severe disease burden. This highlights the importance of guidelines for medical screening, healthcare provision, and a well-managed transition to definitive medical facilities. Furthermore, non-governmental organizations make an essential contribution by ensuring appropriate support to refugee minors, especially when they experience poor access to the NHS.
1 June 2023 in Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The goal of this research was to investigate the skills and values that can be related to building resilient Small and Medium Enterprises. Primary data on the topic were collected through survey research in a sample of 266 Greek and Polish business owners and managers during the summer of 2020. According to the replies, the Personal characteristics and Values category had the highest importance levels, but their adequacy levels were high as well. Especially Reliability, Integrity and Work ethics have been pointed out as vital for the long-term viability of a business while facing crises situations. The largest mismatch between importance and adequacy, by order of importance, were Communication, Risk identification and assessment, Financial Management, Planning and organisation and Customer-orientation, and these may constitute priority areas for inclusion in business training programs.
An Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system must encompass a spectrum of care, with dedicated pre-hospital and in-hospital medical facilities. It has to be organised in such a way as to include all necessary services—such as triage accurate initial assessment, prompt resuscitation, efficient management of emergency cases, and transport to definitive care. The global economic downturn has had a direct effect on the health sector and poses additional threats to the healthcare system. Greece is one of the hardest-hit countries. This manuscript aims to present the structure of the Greek EMS system and the impact of the current economic recession on it. Nowadays, primary care suffers major shortages in crucial equipment, unmet health needs, and ineffective central coordination. Patients are also facing economic limitations that lead to difficulties in using healthcare services. The multi-factorial problem of in-hospital EMS overcrowding is also evident and has been linked with potentially poorer clinical outcomes. Furthermore, the ongoing refugee crisis challenges the national EMS. Adoption of a triage scale, expansion of the primary care network, and an effective primary–hospital continuum of care are urgently needed in Greece to provide comprehensive, culturally competent, and high-quality health care.
The goal of this research was to measure income inequality and the distribution of the tax burden in Greece, by using open tax data released by the Greek Independent Authority of Public Revenues. The findings reveal multiple distortions in the disperse of tax burden among taxpayers’ income groups, along with very high income inequality among the population. The calculated Gini coefficient and S80/S20 ratio were found to be considerably higher than any previous measurements performed by international organizations and European statistical authorities through household surveys. The findings indicate an urgent need for an income and tax policy overhaul in the country, while the methodology that was used in the research can be replicated in other countries. JEL classification number: D63, H2, O2. Keywords: Tax, Income inequality, Greece, Gini coefficient.
1 October 2018 in International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance
The entry of new competitors operates as a balancing force against high levels of industrial concentration and the abuse of dominant position by firms with large market shares. This paper’s goal is to examine theoretically the impact of Research & Development investments on new firm entry. While dominant economic theory supports that large R&D investments are a prerequisite for technological change and economic growth, so that large incumbent firms are considered to have an advantage against new, typically smaller firms, theoretical and empirical research has shown that this may not be the case. Small firms’ contribution in innovation and economic development is far greater than expected.