Researchers issue warning of health crisis in Greece amid country's financial crisis

"Economically vulnerable Greeks are losing health care access amid dwindling budgets, facing higher risks of HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases, and in some cases, even dying, according to a study released online Monday by The Lancet," the Associated Press/ABC News reports (Torchia, 10/10). "There were about 40 percent cuts in hospital budgets, understaffing, reported occasional shortage of medical supplies, and bribes given to medical staff to jump queues in overstretched hospitals," the authors wrote, according to BBC News. "At the same time there was a 24 percent increase in public hospital admissions, partly fuelled by fewer patients using private hospitals," BBC writes (Gallagher, 10/9).