Bribe: Many complain, few report – How and why corrupt doctors go unpunished

The cardiac surgeon astatine Hippocrates Hospital successful Athens, Dimitris Lymberiadis, who past Tuesday requested and received from a patient’s woman a heavy envelope – though with pre-marked bills – for himself and his team, arsenic helium said, represents 1 of the fewer bribery incidents successful the ESY reported to the applicable authorities this year.

Despite the information that 89% of Greeks state successful a caller Eurobarometer survey that they intelligibly “see” corruption successful the ESY – astatine slightest arsenic expressed done “envelopes” – the world of authoritative complaints shows that determination is simply a immense spread betwixt cognition and the enactment of reporting and documenting the problem. Social acceptance of blatantly amerciable and unethical transactions, citizens’ fear, and deficiency of spot successful the strategy look to support the fig of complaints astir corrupt doctors asking for a “bribe” precise low.

In Five Years
It is indicative that the 1st Health Region (YPE), which oversees 24 large hospitals successful Attica, has handled lone 24 cases of doc bribery from 2020 to today. Meanwhile, successful the different large Health Region of the Attica, Piraeus, and Islands basin, which has dozens of hospitals and healthcare structures, lone 1 lawsuit of doc bribery has been reported – involving an orthopedic surgeon successful an Attica hospital.

At the aforesaid time, transgression and disciplinary procedures often overlap and intertwine, creating a agelong and hard process that causes delays successful issuing decisions and imposing sanctions connected corrupt doctors.

“When bribery by an ESY doc is reported, isolated from the transgression case, the disciplinary process is besides activated, with the second moving on 2 parallel and autarkic axes. At the aforesaid time, it besides proceeds alongside the transgression process. The doc is disciplined by his ain work arsenic good arsenic by the section Medical Association successful the archetypal instance, and successful the 2nd by the Supreme Disciplinary Board of the Panhellenic Medical Association (PIS),” says the PIS president, Athanasios Exadaktylos. Regarding disciplinary oversight, helium clarifies that “each Medical Association cannot initiate disciplinary proceedings solely based connected publications oregon accusations. A tribunal determination oregon a ailment from the national to the Association is required. Judicial authorities usually notify the Medical Association erstwhile a condemnation occurs. Disciplinary power tin proceed alongside the judicial process oregon beryllium suspended until its conclusion, but it indispensable hap wrong a circumstantial timeframe, wrong 5 years from the committee of the offense, different the accidental for disciplinary enactment is lost.”

Previously convicted for a “bribe” is the manager of the cardiac country session astatine Hippocrates Hospital, Dimitris Lymberiadis, who was caught again for bribery.

Closure

The Disciplinary Process wrong the ESY
Last Friday, the time acceptable for the proceedings of Hippocrates cardiac surgeon Dimitris Lymberiadis for bribery, the suspect claimed done his lawyer that an mishap had caused partial immobility and prevented him from appearing successful court. The complainant, done her lawyer, besides stated that she could not be arsenic her hubby needed her care, making the postponement unavoidable. The caller proceedings day was acceptable for Monday, September 22.

He volition marque the aforesaid assertion – that helium was not bribed – earlier the Disciplinary Council of the 1st Health Region (YPE), wherever helium was called for an urgent process regarding his imaginable imperishable suspension from his nationalist infirmary position. It should beryllium noted that transgression prosecution of an ESY doc instantly triggers disciplinary oversight wrong the nationalist wellness system. This is conducted successful 3 stages: initially by the infirmary administration, past by the Disciplinary Council of the corresponding YPE, and yet by the Central Disciplinary Council of ESY Doctors. Mr. D. Lymberiadis, who categorically denies bribery earlier the investigative authorities, was suspended from his duties by the infirmary medication the time aft his arrest. This suspension lasts 30 calendar days.

During this period, however, the lawsuit (must) beryllium referred to the YPE Disciplinary Council, chaired by the YPE manager and including representatives of ESY doctors and the section Medical Association, different infirmary administrators, and a lawyer.

Whether the doc volition stay successful oregon retired of the infirmary during this play is again decided by the Disciplinary Council. In caller years, it seems that YPE Disciplinary Councils spot corrupt doctors who request and person “bribes” extracurricular the hospital, with continuous extensions of imaginable oregon imperishable suspension decisions until the tribunal verdict is issued.

Usually, successful bribery cases, the respective YPE Disciplinary Council instantly refers the lawsuit to the Central Disciplinary Council of ESY Doctors, asking astir imaginable oregon imperishable suspension from the ESY, depending connected the severity of the discourtesy according to ESY disciplinary law.

In the lawsuit of the Hippocrates cardiac surgeon, the question of imperishable suspension referred to the 1st YPE Disciplinary Council seems indispensable arsenic it is his 2nd conviction. A decennary ago, helium was again convicted for bribery with a 10-month situation condemnation and was suspended from the infirmary for the aforesaid play nether ESY disciplinary decisions.

Also retired of the infirmary is the manager of Neurosurgery astatine Volos Hospital since 2023, with successive YPE Disciplinary Council decisions for a imaginable one-year suspension. The doctor, whose transgression lawsuit is ongoing, was accused of persuading his administrative subordinate to supply a mendacious sick permission certificate to the OSE inspector conscionable hours aft the tragic railway mishap successful Tempi.

The determination of the Central Disciplinary Council of ESY Doctors remains “open” until the last tribunal determination is issued, a process that often takes connected mean 7 years. Doctors mostly entreaty first-instance convictions and record cassation requests erstwhile convicted successful the Court of Appeals. Recently, however, a doc successful a Northern Greece infirmary was dismissed, whose bribery apprehension occurred successful 2017.

Many Complain, Few Report
In opposition to the beardown reflexes shown by hospitals and YPEs successful disciplinary matters, with decisions placing corrupt doctors extracurricular hospitals and swiftly referring cases to higher levels, citizens are skeptical and hesitant wrong this system.

As infirmary and YPE officials archer THEMA, complaints astir “bribes” are galore but seldom signed. Citizens often unreserved to the medication offices, either successful hospitals oregon YPEs, to study that a bribe was requested. However, erstwhile encouraged to besides study done the police, they often backmost down, fearing they volition suffer their crook for the country for which the “envelope” is fixed oregon look antagonistic attraction from different doctors. In Northern Greece YPEs, determination person been cases wherever complainants withdrew their ailment to the medication due to the fact that the doc returned the “envelope” to them.

In large hospitals successful Attica, galore much oral complaints are made compared to determination hospitals. This happens due to the fact that successful smaller section communities, citizens much easy succumb to doctors’ demands and blackmail, fearing they volition different not beryllium capable to person country locally and volition request to question to different aesculapian facility.

Administrators besides enactment that the archetypal assurance sought by citizens who yet determine to study the doctor, and for whom the constabulary are notified, is that the country volition beryllium scheduled with different doctor, “guaranteed” by the administration.

The Cardiac Surgeon successful Larissa
The Central Disciplinary Council of ESY Doctors volition soon sermon the bribery lawsuit of a cardiac surgeon from the University Hospital of Larissa recorded past June.

This lawsuit received large attraction arsenic the corrupt doc was besides a prof astatine the Medical School of Larissa and manager of his infirmary clinic. In aboriginal July, the cardiac surgeon was sentenced to 4 years successful prison, a fine, and exit prohibition from the country. He was suspended from duties astatine the infirmary and referred for disciplinary reappraisal to the applicable assembly of the 5th YPE of Thessaly and Central Greece regarding imperishable removal from the ESY, which successful crook referred him to the Central Disciplinary Council of ESY Doctors.

He has besides been referred to the Supreme Disciplinary Board of PIS. This cardiac surgeon remains suspended until his lawsuit is finalized. During this period, helium is unpaid and cannot signifier medicine privately.

A akin concern involves an orthopedic doc from Papageorgiou Hospital successful Thessaloniki, arrested past April for bribery. It was the 4th clip helium faced this complaint and helium already had 1 condemnation (10 months imprisonment). On April 14, helium was again sentenced to 1 twelvemonth successful situation with a three-year suspension.

Recent Eurobarometer Statistics

• 89% of Greeks judge corruption exists successful the ESY
• The 1st Health Region (YPE), which oversees 24 large hospitals successful Attica, has handled lone 24 cases of doc bribery from 2020 to today
• One lawsuit of doc bribery was reported successful the aforesaid play successful the Health Region of Attica, Piraeus, and Islands