Complaints about two private clinics shut down this week in Thessaloniki date back to 2013, with nursing staff among those who raised alarms years before authorities finally closed the facilities, broadcaster Mega reported.
Beyond patient complaints about poor conditions and the regional authority's repeated refusal to grant operating certification, the Nurses' Association filed formal complaints with prosecutors and regional officials alleging unlicensed practice of the nursing profession.
The association claimed the clinics employed unqualified staff as nurses and placed unlicensed personnel in supervisory nursing roles.
Authorities ordered both clinics closed after inspections uncovered serious regulatory violations. One clinic was found to be operating an unlicensed oncology department, administering chemotherapy despite lacking required authorization, following repeated regional inspections that found the facility failed to correct identified deficiencies.
The closures followed complaints over hospitalization conditions, understaffing and patient treatment, with relatives of patients treated there raising serious allegations about the care provided.
The second clinic, owned by the same business group, underwent a similar inspection process. Central Macedonia regional authorities said they found serious legal violations affecting the quality of healthcare services provided, prompting the facility's closure.
The scandal has triggered a broader review of clinics linked to the same ownership group across northern Greece, with Greece's national health insurer EOPYY launching sweeping inspections.