In Europethe number of people who have to pay bribes to benefit from health services continues to increase.
in the magazine”The Economist“, based in the UK, including the consequences of a study published by the EU polling agency, Eurobarometerby researchers at Imperial College London, based on public opinion polls conducted in 2013, 2017 and 2019.
In a survey conducted before Britain left the bloc (31 January 2020), more than 27,000 people from 28 countries in the EU were asked EU if they have been asked to bribe a nurse, doctor or hospital in the previous year to receive treatment.
Nearly 4% of Europeans stated that they were required to make informal payments. This corresponds to an increase about 14% since 2013.
In Eastern Europe, where bribery has always been at its highest level, 5.5% of the population was required to make informal payments in 2019. However, in these countries, the demand for such payments decreased by almost 8%. since 2013, with the largest declines recorded in Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
An alarming trend is observed further west. All countries except Germany reported improvements in this area between 2013 and 2019.
Austria had the highest bribery rate of any European country in 2019. More than one in nine people are forced by health professionals to pay bribes. In Belgium, Germany and Luxembourgthis figure is recorded above 5%.
“Internet trailblazer. Troublemaker. Passionate alcohol lover. Beer advocate. Zombie ninja.”
