Greek prosecutors open inquiry as unlicensed Thessaloniki cancer clinic faces closure

Sealing order and patient transfers

Two court bailiffs served an official order on 29 September 2026 to revoke the operating license of a private clinic in Thessaloniki. The enforcement followed an announcement made on 28 September 2026 by the Vice Governor of Thessaloniki, Kostas Goutikas. Greek administrative law provides the clinic a minimum transition period of 15 days to transfer its pathology patients and elderly residents to other healthcare institutions. Authorities also took steps to seal a second private clinic owned by the same proprietor. Relatives gathered outside the building on Tuesday morning to request information regarding where and how their family members would continue receiving medical treatment.

Unlicensed oncology ward and prescription fraud

An investigation by Greece's National Transparency Authority established that the clinic had operated a fully equipped oncology unit without required licensing. Investigators discovered that a private pulmonologist specializing in lung oncology prescribed and administered chemotherapy drugs at the facility starting in 2022 without a written employment contract. Clinic staff prepared the medications on site. The doctor and an associate prescribed expensive cancer treatments using patient social security numbers (AMKA), including for individuals whose medical records showed no malignancy. In response, EOPYY administrator Athanasios Zamanis ordered the national health insurer to terminate its contract with the clinic and recover all disbursements made to the facility since 2021.

“The Directorate of Public Health and Social Welfare, as the competent service, did not proceed with the definitive cessation of the clinic's operation despite having a recommendation from the Committee for the definitive cessation of the clinic's operation with revocation of the establishment and operation license, and despite the fact that the revocation of the Certificate of Good Standing had already been issued since early 2026.”

Urgent prosecutorial inquiry

Leonidas Nikolopoulos, the head of the Thessaloniki Appeals Prosecutor's Office, ordered an urgent preliminary investigation on 29 September 2026 to identify potential criminal liabilities. The judicial probe focuses on both clinic management and the conduct of previous state oversight inspections. Nikolopoulos ordered unsworn suspect testimony from members of the Central Macedonia Private Clinic Inspection Committee regarding their 2025 inspection. Prosecutors want to determine why the committee documented nursing shortages but omitted the fully equipped oncology department. The head of the regional Directorate of Public Health and Social Welfare, the clinic operations manager, and the treating pulmonologist were also summoned to provide formal explanations.

Patient conditions and administrative failures

The regulatory action follows multiple complaints regarding understaffing and patient neglect. One family reported that a 92-year-old woman, admitted for physical therapy after recovering from coronavirus, developed severe dehydration at the clinic before being transferred to the 424 General Military Hospital, where she died days later. Despite lacking an intensive care unit and required medical staff, the facility actively advertised its oncology unit through promotional online videos. The National Transparency Authority forwarded its investigative dossier to the Athens Appeals Prosecutor, EOPYY, and the relevant medical association for further criminal and disciplinary procedures.