Twenty-five state hospitals in Greece will begin all-day operation on Wednesday, with out-patient clinics available both during the morning and in the evenings, between 15:00 and 22:00.

Though the programme is initially restricted to clinics, the hospitals are scheduled to gradually start offering diagnostic and laboratory tests during the evenings as well and, later on, surgery.

The evening clinics and other medical services will come at a much higher cost, however, with patients charged from 20 euro for an examination by a junior associate specialist in hospitals serving remote areas to 90 euro for a medical professor in a university hospital.

Patients will also be charged extra for diagnostic and other treatment procedures carried out by the doctor, such as ultrasounds, X-rays and chemotherapy, amniocentesis, etc. A day-time visit to an out-patient clinic currently costs a flat fee of 3.00 euro.

The revenue from the higher fees will be used to fund the cost of operating hospitals throughout the day, which is expected to increase the level of service and convenience to the public.

Hospitals that are part of the programme include the two main children's hospitals, the Aglaia Kyriakou and Agia Sophia, the university hospitals of Rio, Ioannina and Iraklio, the Attica state hospitals Evangelismos, Georgios Gennimatas, KAT, Agios Savvas, Erythros, Nikaia, Tzanio, Attikon, Metaxa and Thriasio, the Thessaloniki hospitals Papanikolaou, Papage-orgiou and AHEPA, as well as the hospitals of Alexandrou-polis, Theagenio, Kavala, Larisa, Volos, Iraklio and Hania.