A report in Ta Nea there are an estimated 2.5 million Greeks who do not currently have health insurance, which has put a strain on the national healthcare system.

According to the report, the free access to healthcare service has had a significant impact on hospital budgets. The Ministry of Health’s official data shows that about 65.8 million euros were allocated to the care of the poor and uninsured between January and July this year.

Experts warn than the healthcare cost for uninsured and poor patients will likely double in the second half of the year, given that recent legislation allows free access to the national healthcare system’s (ESY) services.

The newspaper report notes that up to 2013 uninsured patients were not accepted in the ESY-run public hospitals, having to resort to private institutions instead. In practice though, doctors often treat uninsured patients, citing the Hippocratic Oath.