Pediatric heart-surgeon at two private hospital is suspected to be responsible for the death of at least 15 children, He is currently under investigation after parents officially complained with a letter to health authorities.
According to media reports, the 60-year-old pediatric cardiologist worked in two private clinics in Athens and Thessaloniki and there is rumor that he has left Greece.
The issue began to come to light a few months ago when the parents of children who died at his hands and other children operated on by him who are facing very serious health problems began to speak out.
The letter with the complaints reached the hands of former Health Minister, Thanos Plevris.
Immediately actions were taken both by Justice and Police that took at least 40 testimonies from parents whose children either died during the surgery, or are now facing very serious health problems.
According to the parents’ complaints, the surgeon made “incredible excuses” for the results of his operations, sometimes saying that the machines were to blame, or the staff inside the operating room, or medicines or the child’s heart that did not respond.
In several cases, he even blamed the children’s parents telling them how it was their fault because they were late in bringing the patient to him.
The parents said that the doctor in question is “a false messiah”. They complained that in the 70 surgeries performed from 2020 to 2021 in one clinic “20% of the children died” while many “never regained consciousness, remained a vegetative stadium.
“Accepted mortality rate in Europe for such operations in children is 2%-4%,” noted Sunday news paper tovima.gr in its report, citing experienced heart surgeon.
It should be noted that the first letter of the parents was sent to Central Health Council (KESY) on April 23, 2021. A special commission was assigned to investigate this very serious issue, however, the works were halted beginning of 2023.
The investigations into the case are in full progress and it is expected that once completed, an international arrest warrant will be issued against the 60-year-old in fact “very famous” surgeon, should the information that he is already outside Greece conforms.