Neonatal-perinatal care in Greece.

Greece, a country of 10.25 million people and about 100,000 births per year, has changed its health care system significantly in the last 10 years and has made substantial improvements in neonatal-perinatal care. Infant mortality decreased from 18/1000 in 1983 to 9/1000 in 1991; neonatal mortality decreased from 15/1000 in 1983 to 6.1% in 1991; perinatal mortality decreased from 23.8% in 1983 to 11.06/1000 in 1991. There are currently 15 neonatal intensive care units in the Greece, with approximately 180 intensive care beds, which are adequately equipped for respiratory support and relatively well staffed with doctors. However, there is a great shortage of nursing personnel, and most neonatal units have an unacceptable ratio of nurses to infants. The goal of health policies for the upcoming years is to promote the regionalization of perinatal care, to increase the number of and personnel for neonatal intensive care units, and to develop several intermediate care units, which will minimize unnecessary admissions to the tertiary neonatal centers.