Disciplinary proceedings have been ordered against employees of the Attica Psychiatric Hospital (Dafni) by Greece’s Health Minister, Adonis Georgiadis, who claims he was subjected to verbal abuse by union representatives during his visit to the facility. In a post on X, the minister described the emergency measures taken to protect patients during a wildfire that broke out on Friday (31/7/2026) in the Aigaleo area. According to Georgiadis, a special emergency action plan was activated, and patients with respiratory conditions were preventively evacuated.
Adonis Georgiadis: Verbally attacked by union representatives
The minister also addressed the incident that occurred during his presence at Dafni Hospital, claiming he was subjected to verbal attacks by union members — an incident he says prompted his decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
According to Georgiadis, as soon as he was informed by Civil Protection authorities of the danger the psychiatric hospital faced, he cancelled the planned inauguration of a psychiatric clinic in Agia Varvara and went directly to the hospital, accompanied by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, the Director of the 2nd Health Region, and the Deputy Director responsible for mental health.
Όταν χθες ενημερώθηκα από την Πολιτική Προστασία για τον κίνδυνο που διέθετε από την πυρκαγιά το Ψυχιατρικό Νοσοκομείο στο Δαφνί, άλλαξα το πρόγραμμα μου, ακύρωσα τα εγκαίνια που είχαμε προγραμματισμένα για την Ψυχιατρική Κλινική στην Αγία Βαρβάρα, που τέθηκε από χθες σε πλήρη…
— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) August 1, 2026
As he explains, working alongside the hospital’s administration and the Fire Service, an emergency response plan was drawn up that included a partial evacuation of the facility. Patients with respiratory conditions were transferred to Attikon Hospital, while buses remained on standby in case a full evacuation became necessary. According to the minister, the president of the POEDIN healthcare workers’ union, Michalis Giannakos, also participated in the emergency meeting.
The Health Minister claims that while he was on the hospital grounds overseeing the patient count and transfer process, he was subjected to verbal abuse and insults from three union representatives, whom he politically associates with the extra-parliamentary left. He states that he warned them such behaviour towards the political superior of a public hospital — and particularly during an ongoing patient evacuation due to a wildfire — constitutes a “serious disciplinary offence.”
Georgiadis further notes that shortly afterwards, the president of the hospital workers’ union also appeared and, according to him, attempted to stage a public protest.
In his post, the minister announces that he has already ordered the disciplinary procedures provided for under the Civil Servants’ Code to be initiated, asserting that “such behaviour has no place in the National Health System.” He also emphasises that the formal report to be filed will include allegations of verbal abuse and harassment.
What the minister says about the video that was made public
The minister refers to what he calls a “toxic” culture and argues that state representatives must be treated with respect, particularly in emergency situations. He adds, however, that even if a union protest might carry a degree of heightened tension, he considers it wholly unacceptable for such conduct to occur during the evacuation of patients with respiratory conditions.
In closing, Georgiadis states that the video circulating online does not, as he argues, capture the specific incident he is referring to, and calls on those who filmed it to release the full footage — so that, as he puts it, “the Greek people can understand where this toxic behaviour leads.”
