Starting Tuesday, July 15, Greek citizens will have access to a new, toll-free health services hotline, 1566, designed to simplify public interaction with the country’s healthcare system. This move by the Ministry of Health aims to consolidate around 100 existing phone lines into a single, centralized service, improving efficiency and accessibility for users across Greece.
The introduction of the 1566 number was announced during a press conference attended by the Ministry of Health leadership and the Deputy Minister of Development and Investments, signaling the government’s commitment to digitizing and modernizing public health administration.
Importantly, this new hotline does not replace 166, which remains the dedicated number for emergency medical services and ambulance dispatch in Greece.
What 1566 Offers
In its initial rollout phase — from July through September — the 1566 line will provide assistance with a variety of health-related services, including:
- Information on pharmacy and hospital on-call schedules
- Appointment scheduling through the IDIKA (e-appointment) system, covering:
- All primary healthcare facilities
- Physicians contracted with the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (EOPYY)
- Personal physicians
- Public mental health services (This feature will be expanded to include public hospitals from September onward.)
- Updates on vaccination appointments and availability
- Information on the distribution and collection of high-cost medicines
- General travel health guidance
- Connection to psychological support lines
- Handling of complaints or the filing of official reports
According to Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, the concept for this line was inspired by the success of the Ministry of Labor’s 1535 hotline. He emphasized that 1566 will not only receive calls from citizens but will also proactively contact individuals to inform them about services and entitlements. He also stressed that the 1566 service will continue to evolve over time. Once its initial funding from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility concludes, the Ministry of Health will assume full responsibility for its maintenance and development.
A Coordinated Government Effort
Deputy Minister of Development and Investments Nikos Papathanasis highlighted the strong inter-ministerial collaboration required to bring the project to life. He praised the role of the Recovery Fund in facilitating this transition to a more citizen-friendly public health service model.
