dr. vichas shows us the room where they store the clinic's medications.all these medications were donated by private individuals from all over greece and from abroad -- especially from germany. even state-run clinics have now begun to ask if he can supply medications that are in short supply. there are now more than 40 solidarity clinics in greece, around 15 of them in athens alone -- where physicians, nurses and other volunteers treat patients for free. they prop up a crumbling public health system that has more or less stopped working. >> i desperately need a pacemaker to get my heart beating normally again. but i don't have any money. i hope the doctor here can help me. otherwise i don't know what i'll do. reporter: over the last four years, dr. vichas and the other physicians here have treated around 40,000 patients at the clinic free of charge. >> patients like the woman with heart disease or the gentleman from mykonos are typical cases. they're casualties of years of austerity policies that have hit the healthcare sector especially hard. reporter: i