Following Mazonakis’ death, Thessaloniki clinic where unlicensed chemotherapy was administered is closed

The death of renowned Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis has prompted widespread inspections at clinics and private centers across Greece. In Thessaloniki, authorities ordered the closure of a private clinic on Monday evening after discovering that an oncology unit was operating illegally on its premises and that patients were being administered chemotherapy without the necessary authorization.

An inspection carried out by the National Transparency Authority found that the clinic had established a complete facility for treating oncological diseases, including equipment for preparing chemotherapy drugs. However, the unit was not listed on the clinic’s official license.

A pulmonologist specializing in lung oncology was practicing at the clinic, but he did not have a written contract with the institution. According to the investigation’s findings, since 2022 the doctor had been prescribing chemotherapy drugs to patients, which were then administered in the unauthorized unit.

The inspections also revealed other significant deficiencies. The clinic did not have the required number of nurses, lacked doctors from several mandatory specialties, and had not put its Intensive Care Unit into operation, even though it was one of the licensing requirements.

Another issue under review concerns patients who were admitted for diagnoses unrelated to cancer but received chemotherapy treatments during their stay. Authorities are verifying whether inaccurate information may have been submitted to EOPYY, Greece’s public health insurance fund, for these admissions in order to obtain reimbursements.

Violations at the institution had also been identified earlier. In 2025, a staffing shortage was recorded, while at the beginning of 2026 the clinic’s certificate of regular operation was revoked and its permanent closure was recommended. Despite this, its activities continued. The license has now been revoked and the clinic closed, while the case materials have also been forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office.

This development comes just weeks after Giorgos Mazonakis died at a private center in Athens during a plasmapheresis procedure. The singer’s case highlighted major shortcomings in the oversight of the private healthcare sector and led to the launch of a new series of inspections across the country.

Through the new MedWatch system, authorities have reviewed thousands of clinics, medical offices, aesthetic centers and other private facilities. During the first phase of inspections in Attica alone, 231 facilities were classified as “red,” meaning they showed indicators requiring immediate inspection. Meanwhile, 424 other facilities were placed in the “yellow” category and will undergo reinspection. This classification does not mean that all these entities are operating illegally, but that elements requiring on-site verification have been identified.

The list of facilities under review includes private clinics, polyclinics, medical offices, aesthetic centers and spas. It also includes businesses that advertised medical services even though they were not authorized to provide them.

The incident has also sparked fierce political debate. Opposition parties accuse the government of failing to conduct sufficient inspections of private clinics and of tolerating problems in the sector for years.