All across Eastern Europe, health services plunged into crisis in the 1990s. Steep cuts in budgets, training and investment and, in some cases, official disinterest, created a pervasive system failure that has had terrible consequences, for patients and their families, for communities, and for those who have been required to work in the many parts of health services. Based on research conducted by the ILO Socio-Economic Security Programme and Public Services International, the book paints a vivid picture of the dedication and professionalism of health-care staff in worsening conditions, in which they have continued to work and have tried to maintain standards despite personal hardships.