An unauthorized oncology department operating inside a private clinic in Thessaloniki has been shut down following an investigation by Greece's National Transparency Authority.
The independent oversight agency launched an inspection after receiving a formal complaint regarding illegal medical practices and unauthorized operations at the facility.
Inspectors discovered that the private facility had established a fully functioning cancer care department despite lacking authorization in its official operating license.
Thessaloniki, situated in northern Greece, is the country's second-largest city and serves as a primary regional medical center for Central Macedonia. Under Greek healthcare law, private clinics must obtain specific statutory licenses for each specialized department they operate, ensuring that facilities meet rigorous technical standards, safety requirements, and staffing guidelines before providing specialized medical care.
Unlicensed chemotherapy treatments
Audit findings revealed that the illegal oncology department was managed by a single physician, a pulmonologist specializing in lung oncology. The clinic granted office space to the physician inside the facility, but no written contract of cooperation existed between the doctor and the administration.
The pulmonologist had been prescribing chemotherapy medications from the clinic's office since 2022. He subsequently administered the treatments inside the unauthorized oncology department with assistance from clinic personnel who prepared the pharmaceutical solutions.
Inspectors uncovered evidence that patients admitted under non-cancer diagnoses received chemotherapy treatments during their stay. The patients were hospitalized at the facility on instructions from a second physician for conditions unrelated to malignancy, yet were given specific chemotherapy drugs while admitted.
Chemotherapy involves potent cytotoxic medications designed to destroy rapidly dividing cells, primarily to treat malignant tumors. Because of their severe toxicity, potential side effects, and strict preparation protocols, chemotherapy drugs require specialized oversight, dedicated handling, and authorized oncology infrastructure to prevent severe patient harm.
The National Transparency Authority stated that administering chemotherapy drugs under non-malignant diagnoses indicates that the clinic submitted false or inaccurate data to state insurance bodies to secure fraudulent reimbursements for patient hospitalizations.
Greece's National Organisation for the Provision of Health Services, known as EOPYY, is the country's primary public health insurance provider. EOPYY manages state healthcare funds, contracts with healthcare providers, and reimburses private clinics for authorized inpatient treatments, diagnostic procedures, and prescribed medications.
Severe staffing and safety violations
The audit exposed widespread staffing deficiencies and structural non-compliance across the clinic. The facility did not employ physicians under salaried employment status and lacked appointed scientific heads responsible for overseeing individual departments.
Additionally, the clinic had not executed formal written contracts with other attending doctors practicing at the facility, directly violating Greek health legislation governing private medical establishments.
Inspectors recorded a critical shortage of nursing personnel and noted that the facility completely lacked qualified specialists in essential medical fields, including radiodiagnostics.
Furthermore, the facility failed to maintain an operational Intensive Care Unit. Under Greek healthcare laws, private clinics are legally required to maintain functional intensive care beds proportional to the capacity defined in their official establishment and operating licenses.
Intensive care units provide specialized continuous monitoring, advanced life support, and immediate intervention for critically ill or destabilized patients. In private medical facilities, operating without an active ICU places patients undergoing invasive or high-risk procedures at severe risk in the event of medical complications.
Failure of regional oversight
The inspection highlighted earlier failures by regional regulatory authorities to enforce health safety laws. The clinic had undergone a previous inspection in 2025 by the regional committee responsible for auditing private clinics, which identified insufficient nursing staff for safe operation.
However, the National Transparency Authority noted that the 2025 regional inspection committee failed to identify or record in its official report the existence of the illegal oncology department or the other violations uncovered during the latest audit.
The oversight authority criticized the Directorate of Public Health and Social Welfare for failing to order a permanent closure of the facility. The local directorate did not act despite recommendations from the inspection committee to suspend operations permanently and revoke the facility's founding license.
Local officials also failed to shut down the clinic even though an official revocation of the facility's Certificate of Good Standing had been issued in early 2026.
Referrals for criminal and legal action
Following the investigation, the National Transparency Authority formally recommended that the regional government immediately shut down the clinic permanently, revoke its operating license, and impose administrative penalties.
The authority also called on the region to notify all private clinics and local inspection committees across the jurisdiction to enforce full compliance with current healthcare laws.
Audit findings have been forwarded to the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal of Athens to investigate potential criminal charges against responsible parties.
The dossier was also submitted to EOPYY so the agency can take action regarding the accuracy of reimbursement claims submitted by the clinic.
Finally, the National Transparency Authority transmitted its findings to the competent Medical Association to initiate disciplinary proceedings into potential professional misconduct by the physicians involved.
