27 Patients Left in Thessaloniki Clinic Await Transfer as Facility Faces Closure
Twenty-seven seriously ill patients remain in a private clinic on Papanastasiou Street in Thessaloniki, which is set to be permanently sealed after violations were found, including an illegal oncology unit.
A private medical centre on Papanastasiou Street in Thessaloniki is slated for permanent shutdown after regulators identified a series of infractions, including the illegal operation of an oncology ward. Out of 45 patients treated there, 18 were transferred last week either to relatives’ homes or other institutions, while 27 remain in the facility because their conditions demand ongoing, intensive medical and nursing support.
Relatives have written to the Ministry of Health and the Central Macedonia Region demanding immediate assistance to move their loved ones to accredited facilities capable of providing comparable care. They argue that families should not bear the burden of transporting patients multiple times a week for essential treatments, nor should they be forced to cover the high costs of private long-term care. The petition also highlights a lack of suitable chronic-care hospitals in Thessaloniki that are fully contracted with the national health insurance (EOPYY). Simultaneously, a second clinic owned by the same group in Therma was sealed after staff shortages led regional authorities to revoke its operating certificate, and the owner has filed an administrative appeal that does not halt the suspension.
Why it matters
The situation exposes gaps in Greece's healthcare infrastructure and raises urgent concerns about patient safety during clinic closures.
In this story
