EUROZONE-GREECE/NAXOS-MEDICINES Greek islanders struggle with cash and medical supplies; tourist bookings fall

Record ID: 148459

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/NAXOS-MEDICINES Greek islanders struggle with cash and medical supplies; tourist bookings fall
  • Date: 4th July 2015
  • Summary: NAXOS, GREECE (JULY 4, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NAXOS CITY, NAXOS ISLAND FISHERMAN UNTANGLING HIS NET FISHING BOATS WITH FERRY ON THE BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF TOURISTS DISEMBARKING FROM THE FERRY TOURISTS IN NAXOS CITY'S STREET VARIOUS OF TOURISTS AT RESTAURANT VARIOUS OF DEPUTY MINISTER FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF NAXOS DIMITRIS LIANOS IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUT
  • Embargoed: 19th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAE3AGVRKZTBSSFG9XY5Y0OXYV3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: While foreign tourists continued to arrive the Greek holiday island of Naxos on Saturday (July 4), local authorities were fearing for their future as the ongoing financial crisis and capital controls begin to cause a squeeze in some supplies.
    Speaking to Reuters TV on the eve of a crucial referendum on a further bailout package, the deputy minister of the municipality of Naxos said the ongoing economic and political crisis in the country has damaged their season.
    "The last minute bookings, they have stopped, they have been eliminated. About, also...There is a lack of interest for the months of September and October due to the unsafety that has (been) created with the problem of the Greek monetary basis, the Greek banks", explained Dimitris Lianos.
    "It would be a catastrophe if they don't make a deal as quick as possible, it will become a catastrophe for this year, but also for the coming year, because many tour operators and air companies (are) scheduling and organizing now the programme for 2016", he warned.
    According to Lianos, one of the biggest challenges facing the island is cashflow, as some of the ATMs already running out.
    Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras implemented capital controls a week ago to try and avoid the country running dry. Banks were closed and people were limited to taking 60 euros a day out of their bank accounts.
    A few days later Greece defaulted on a 1.6 billion euro loan from the International Monetary Fund after last-ditch negotiations with international creditors failed.
    Another issue for people living on the island is the supply of medication.
    One local pharmacist said that people were beginning to hoard which in turn was causing shortages of some specific medicines.
    "We are lacking medicines for diabetes, for dementia, for heart diseases, some vaccines and the main reason is that there is a liquidity problem, and we can't pay for it our suppliers and also there is a bigger demand because people are afraid that they won't be able to find medicines starting next week", pharmacy employee Maria Matzourani told Reuters TV.
    She said that mainly elderly people were buying up supplies of medicine in fear that they soon wouldn't be available.
    "They are afraid, because they listen to the tv and they think that chaos is coming, starting Monday", she said, adding that the problem of medication supply has been ongoing since the economic crisis first began in Greece.
    For now Greeks are holding their breaths for the outcome of Sunday's (July 5) referendum.
    Opinion polls on Friday (July 3) gave the "Yes" camp, which favours accepting the bailout terms, a slender lead but all were within the margin of error and pollsters said the vote was too close to call.
    Only one had the "No" vote winning, despite turnout of at least 50,000 opponents of the deal at a rally in central Athens on Friday that appeared significantly bigger than a simultaneous rally by the "Yes" camp.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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