Greece is paying doctors an extra 1,500 euros a month to work on small islands, and it's still not enough to fill the va...

Greece is paying doctors an extra 1,500 euros a month to work on small islands, and it's still not enough to fill the vacancies. A new problem has emerged that no bonus check can fix: doctors can't find anywhere to live. The 1,500 euro monthly incentive, funded through a 10.08 million euro, seven-year donation from the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, covers positions on 47 small islands with populations under 4,000. The first round of applications drew 57 candidates for 42 positions, with strong competition on Hydra, Poros, and Spetses. That sounds promising until you look at what's left unfilled. Thirteen health facilities received zero applications, leaving 16 positions completely empty. The Health Ministry was already forced in January 2026 to re-advertise 95 specialist doctor positions that had been declared vacant, most of them on islands, in mountains, or in remote areas. Multiple specialties have been re-posted repeatedly this year alone. The core issue is the short-term rental market. On popular tourist islands, the explosion of platforms like Airbnb has gutted the long-term rental stock. A newly appointed doctor can be assigned to one of Greece's most famous destinations and simultaneously be unable to afford a small apartment. Housing costs can eat up nearly half a public doctor's salary. In several documented cases, doctors accept the appointment, travel to the island, and then leave after discovering they cannot secure decent housing. The problem has shifted from recruiting doctors to keeping them once they arrive. One analysis in the article puts the cost of each unfilled position at roughly 50,000 euros per year in emergency coverage, transfers, and substitutions. With 95 vacant positions, that adds up to around 4.75 million euros annually. Over four years, that figure approaches 20 million euros. A proposed alternative, building 200 permanent staff housing units of 50 square meters each, is estimated to cost around 17 million euros total, and the housing would last for decades. The islands face a particular pressure in summer, when populations multiply and small health facilities must serve not just permanent residents but hundreds of t...