Μake us preferred on Google Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of popular singer/performer Giorgos Mazonakis on Wednesday after he suffered cardiac arrest during what’s being reported as a plasma-exchange procedure at a private medical facility in Athens, according to preliminary information.
Mazonakis was unconscious when he was transferred by ambulance to the Elpis Hospital in central Athens, where his death was confirmed. An autopsy is expected to establish the precise cause of death and examine the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident, including whether any responsibilities arise and who may be held accountable.
The case has raised questions over the licensing and operation of the facility, located in the downtown upscale district of Kolonaki, where Mazonakis underwent treatment.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis described the facility as “an alleged clinic” and said its license covered only a general medical practice. He questioned whether plasma exchange could legally be performed at such a facility.
“We must investigate the exact circumstances of the incident,” Georgiadis said, adding that such a procedure is not permitted in an ordinary medical practice.
The minister said he has also asked the president of the Athens Medical Association (ISA), former Attica regional governor Giorgos Patoulis, to immediately launch the required inspection. ISA is responsible for inspections of medical practices in Athens, and the process has already begun.
Authorities are examining the file of the private physician whose practice was involved, as well as the equipment and licensing documents for the premises. Investigators will determine what equipment was present and whether it had been declared in the documentation submitted by the doctor when obtaining the practice’s license.
Patoulis said the facility had held a license as a general medical practice since 2013. He added that the doctor’s file was being examined and that a three-member inspection committee would be sent to the premises as soon as possible.
“We will also examine what he was supposed to be doing and whether he had the ability to proceed with such actions,” Dr. Patoulis said.
The physician involved in the case also went to police headquarters on Wednesday to provide a statement as authorities sought answers about the events preceding Mazonakis’ transfer to the public hospital.
