The director of the Cardiac Surgery Clinic at Hippokratio Hospital, who is being prosecuted for allegedly demanding a bribe to “provide post-operative care for a patient,” has already been convicted at first instance for another similar case.
Read: Hippokratio: “They exploit your desperation” says wife of patient who reported hospital director for bribery
Cardiac surgery director at Hippokratio Hospital has history of taking bribes
According to sources, the director of the cardiac surgery clinic at Hippokratio Hospital has been convicted at first instance for bribery, receiving a one-year suspended prison sentence, with his second-degree trial still pending.
For the new case, the doctor was arrested red-handed with marked banknotes following a complaint by a patient’s wife that he demanded a bribe. The doctor allegedly demanded up to 5,000 euros to “take care of” patients who had undergone surgery and were under his supervision.
Hippokratio Hospital: Who is the doctor arrested for 5,000-euro bribe
As a reminder, according to sources, the director of Cardiology at Hippokratio Hospital was arrested for demanding a bribe of 5,000 euros. According to information, the doctor demanded the money from a patient’s family to ensure proper post-operative care. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis announced the immediate suspension of the doctor’s duties, stating that no incident of corruption will be tolerated in the National Health System.
According to Star, a desperate patient’s wife reported the doctor when he insisted on receiving the bribe despite the family’s financial difficulties. The woman explained to Internal Affairs officers that the cardiac surgeon at Hippokratio demanded 5,000 euros to care for her operated husband. Despite her pleas that she didn’t have the required money, the doctor allegedly only negotiated the amount. The situation led the desperate woman to seek help from the incorruptible officers of the Hellenic Police.
The operation, the red-handed arrest and the doctor’s first words
Police officers organized an operation with marked banknotes at Hippokratio Hospital. During their morning meeting in the hospital corridor, the woman handed the envelope with money to the doctor. Undercover police monitored the exchange and arrested the doctor immediately after he put the envelope in his pocket. When asked about the money, the arrested man replied calmly: “The money is mine”.
The role of a journalist in the bribery complaint against doctor at Hippokratio Hospital
A significant role in exposing the case was played by a journalist’s relative who was hospitalized in the same room as the 60-year-old patient. The operated patient’s wife, feeling desperate, asked the journalist for help. He advised her to contact Internal Affairs officials to end the situation. Despite her initial fears, the woman decided to proceed with the complaint, with the known results. The doctor is expected to be brought to court to give his own explanations for the bribe he received at Hippokratio Hospital.
