Vital Statistics for MR imagers and CT Scanners in Greece
By Stathis D. Gotsis, Ph.D.
During the past 10 years Greece has seen a tremendous development of private Diagnostic Centers, most of which have at least a CT scanner, ultrasound, bone densitometry units (by double photon irradiation), and a smaller number of them with MR imagers as well. Unfortunately, the licences provided have not taken into account the real needs of the population for such advanced technology and the consequences are predictable. In any case, here is a list of MR imagers and CT scanners in the entire Greece. It is as accurate as my sources and I have not personally checked the data provided to me. I believe they are quite accurate, however, because I have the names of the radiologists to whom licences are issued.
The first MR imager was installed in Greece in 1987 and the second in 1989. Since then the growth has been steady:
NUMBER OF MRI UNITS AT VARIOUS FIELD STRENGTHS
(including information up to 31st December, 1997)
| Year | 2.0 Tesla | 1.5 Tesla | 1.0 Tesla | 0.5 Tesla | 0.2 Tesla |
| 1987 | 1 | ||||
| 1989 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 1990 | 2 | ||||
| 1991 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1992 | 2 | ||||
| 1993 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1994 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1995 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 1996 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Total | 1 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 2 |
Obviously a few more units have been installed in 1998
The total population of Attiki is 3.950.00, therefore we have 171.739* inhabitants/MRI unit.
There are 10 more MRI units in Thessaloniki and 5 more in the rest of Greece. Thus the statistics for Greece are:
245.000* inhabitants/MRI unit
* Of course Athens and Thessaloniki serve patients from other areas of Greece as well, and the statistics shown here have not taken this into account. Perhaps the overall statistics for the entire Greece are a more accurate index of the real situation.
The statistics for CT scanners are another story!
69 CT scanners in Attiki (77.143 inhabitants/CT scanner)
8 CT scanners in Crete (95.000 inhabitants/CT scanner)
21 CT scanners in Thessaloniki (48.095 inhabitants/CT scanner)
6 CT scanners in Patra (42.857 inhabitants/CT scanner)
36 CT scanners in the rest of Greece
Overall in Greece there is one CT scanner for every 70.000 inhabitants. The statistics compare with those of USA and Japan, in other words there are more CT scanners than really needed!