A 28-year-old patient suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS/MND), who is being treated at Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion, Crete, was moved to another room so that the hospital could accommodate a favored patient, according to complaints.
As first reported by patris.gr, tensions flared at the hospital when the young woman was effectively forced to leave the private room where she had been receiving treatment and was transferred to an eight-bed ward. Following objections from healthcare workers, however, the patient was ultimately moved to another private room within the Internal Medicine Department.
The president of the Venizeleio Hospital Employees’ Association, Dimitris Flytzanis, confirmed the incident, describing it as “unacceptable” and calling on the hospital administration to provide an explanation. “We are obligated to respect the equal treatment of patients based on their medical needs, not on personal connections or status. The hospital administration must explain why it removed a young woman from her room, a bedridden patient suffering from a very serious illness,” Flytzanis said.
The hospital has rejected the claims suggesting in a press release that “what is described in the original article does not correspond to reality.” They however confirmed that the 28 year old patient was moved from her single occupancy room and that a 96 year old cancer patient was moved to the room the following day.
The Hospital’s Account
According to the hospital’s timeline, the 28 year-old woman arrived at Venizeleio on May 28, 2026, seriously ill with a complication from an operation she had undergone at another hospital. Surgeons operated on her immediately, and she remained in intensive care until June 5. She was subsequently moved to the surgical clinic and initially placed in the clinic’s only single occupancy room because of the particular nature of her case, namely chronic motor neuron disease. She was then transferred to an eight-bed ward, occupied by four patients, for one day, the statement said. The hospital said the patient is now on her 10th post-operative day and is being treated, “more for social reasons,” in a single occupancy room in the Internal Medicine Department.
The single room in the surgical clinic remained empty for one day, on June 8, according to the statement. The following day, a 96-year-old patient with cancer was admitted ahead of a complex surgical procedure. The hospital said the elderly patient had previously undergone surgical removal of a tumor, with a biopsy, at the Ierapetra General Hospital and Health Center in eastern Crete, and that a recurrence and spread of the disease made reconstructive surgery using a tissue flap necessary. The operation was scheduled to be performed by a specialized surgical team. The hospital stressed that bed management was handled exclusively by the director of the surgical clinic, and that neither the hospital administration nor the administration of the 7th Health Region, the public body overseeing hospitals in Crete, had any involvement in or knowledge of the decisions.
Intervention by Evangelia Fanouraki
Evangelia Fanouraki, former administrator of the interconnected hospitals of the regional unit, also commented on the case, writing:
“I wonder, if the operation was routine, why was it not performed in Ierapetra or at Agios Nikolaos Hospital? Especially in Agios Nikolaos, the average occupancy of the general surgery department is barely three patients. He would have had his own three-bed room, not just a private room. I certainly hope this does not indirectly imply any lack of confidence in the surgeons of Lasithi, does it?”
Statement From the Motor Neuron Disease Association
In response to recent reports concerning one of its members, the Association of People With Motor Neuron Disease highlighted the specific needs of individuals living with advanced ALS/MND during hospitalization.
The patient in question is 28 years old, lives with ALS, has both a tracheostomy and a gastrostomy, and is currently battling a serious infection. Her condition is described as extremely vulnerable and requires heightened attention and specialized care.
The association’s statement noted that healthcare professionals involved in her treatment recognized these needs and made efforts to ensure she was hospitalized under conditions that would provide greater safety, protection from infections, peace, and dignity.
