Greek Finance Minister Vassilis Rapanos in hospital Published duration 22 June 2012

image caption Greece's new Prime Minister Samaras (L) and Finance Minister Rapanos (R) have both been taken ill

Greece's new Finance Minister Vassilis Rapanos has been rushed to hospital, reportedly after fainting.

Mr Rapanos, who is chairman of Greece's national bank, was due to be sworn in to the new post in the debt-laden country later on Friday.

The news follows an announcement earlier in the day that Prime Minister Antonis Samaras needs an emergency eye operation.

He has been forced to cancel his first parliamentary meeting as a result.

According to a government spokesperson, a routine eye operation on Friday morning revealed damage to Mr Samaras's retina.

He is due to go into hospital for an operation on Saturday, which means he will not be able to attend the Greece v Germany Euro 2012 game or hold his first parliamentary meeting.

Mr Rapanos, 65, is thought to be undergoing tests after fainting on Friday afternoon, local media said, but no further details have been released on his condition.

He had been due to be sworn in to his new post on Friday evening, after the ceremony was delayed to allow outgoing finance minister Giorgis Zanias to represent Greece at a Eurozone finance ministers' meeting in Luxembourg.

Mr Samaras became Greece's fourth prime minister in eight months at a brief ceremony at the presidential palace in Athens on Wednesday.