Extra Care Cash

Number 3 in a 4 part series for Makeshift magazine about bribes.

Where public doctors are underpaid, you may get special treatment for repaying the favor. In Greece, bribes are known as "fakelakia", referring to the common small envelopes containing cash. At public hospitals, many doctors—especially those with specialized skills and experience—will ask for cash to shorten wait times or to take “extra care” of the patient. If they don’t ask, you still might slip an envelope as a ‘thank you’.