Filenews 16 October 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
The Health Organisation took back the amounts he paid as compensation, and imposed a fine, after it was found that a specific supplier of consumables managed to deceive the system, delivering products that had never been evaluated and approved by the HIO.
The specific supplier, as we are informed, had undertaken the supply of the GHS providers with a specific product. This product, following a relevant request for inclusion in the System and following the procedure provided for in these cases, was evaluated and approved by the HIO.
In fact, for the use of this product, the HIO had paid the supplier an amount of more than €20,000 as compensation for the pieces that had been used.
Subsequently, however, the Agency found that healthcare professionals were receiving a product different from the one that had been evaluated, namely a similar product from another manufacturer.
However, it is noteworthy in the case that despite the replacement of the product that had been approved by another corresponding one, the entries in the GHS software were made with the codes of the first product.
After an inspection, the HIO identified the problem and first proceeded to recover the entire amount it had paid to the supplier in question for the products that had been used and then imposed a fine of €5,000.
In the meantime, a fine of €4,000 was also imposed on a personal doctor of the GHS, who, as found by the HIO, issued referrals to the beneficiaries without sufficient documentation and justification, while registering visits after the presence of his beneficiaries in his office.
At the same time, according to the relevant announcement of the HIO, the specific doctor registered repeat visits for his patients in a period of less than 30 days, as provided by the GHS regulations, without sufficient documentation.