Plasma exchange must be carried out only when medically indicated and by qualified professionals in properly equipped facilities, a Health Ministry representative said on Tuesday.
Speaking on Sigma’s “Protoselido” programme, Dimitris Konstantinou said the procedure is a medical act and must meet the necessary safety standards for patients.
Health Ministry carries out inspections
Konstantinou said the Health Ministry conducts inspections at licensed hospitals, clinical laboratories, assisted reproduction units, and tissue and cell facilities.
The ministry can also inspect a doctor’s practice when it receives information or a complaint suggesting that procedures may not be carried out according to the required standards.
This was the case on Friday, when ministry officials visited a medical practice to assess the conditions under which medical procedures were being performed.
Ministry refers case to police
Following the on-site inspection, the Health Ministry informed the Police about specific issues and filed a complaint. The case is now under police investigation.
Konstantinou declined to provide further details about the findings, saying it would not be appropriate to disclose information while the investigation is ongoing.
He also declined to confirm or comment on reports that the practice had been cooperating with pathologist Ilias Theodoropoulos, the owner of the clinic where Giorgos Mazonakis died, citing the ongoing police investigation.
Reports of patients being transferred to intensive care
Asked about reports that patients had been transferred to the intensive care unit of the American Medical Centre, and whether those cases were linked to the practice under investigation, Konstantinou said some of the information before the authorities may be connected to the complaint.
He stressed that he could not provide further details at this stage because the investigation remains ongoing.
Also read: Patient in the ICU after plasmapheresis – Allegations against illegal medical centers
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