The first results of the MedWatch platform were presented by the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, reporting hundreds of findings on advertisements and practices that may violate the current framework, as well as a significant reduction in related online posts.
At the same time, the minister announced that he forwarded to the National Transparency Authority the complaints concerning the president of the Athens Medical Association Giorgos Patoulis, in order for them to be investigated by the competent authority.
As Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis stated, the platform, which began operating in Athens and expanded to Piraeus and Thessaloniki, is expected within the next few days to operate in almost the entire country, wherever the Medical Associations have electronic registries.
The first element presented by Mr. Georgiadis concerns online advertisements for medical procedures. According to the platform’s data, since the launch of MedWatch until today, a 91% reduction has been recorded in the relevant advertisements.
The minister attributed this development, among other things, to the removal of advertisements by professionals and businesses who may have feared that they would face inspections.
The findings of MedWatch
According to the data presented, the platform has so far identified:
- 119 findings in dental practices concerning hyaluronic acid, mesotherapy and botox. The minister recalled that the relevant circular of 2026 allows dentists to use botulinum toxin only for therapeutic and not for aesthetic purposes.
- 231 findings related to references to stem cell treatments in premises where, under the current framework, EOF approval is required.
- Of these, 135 concern ordinary medical practices, 29 clinics and 24 beauty centers.
- 911 online contents referring to “botox spots” and other injectable treatments or slimming regimens, for which the minister said advertising is prohibited.
- 468 cases of non-doctors advertising medical procedures.
- 16 findings which, according to the presentation, concern cases of direct prescribing.
- 5 businesses without an operating certificate in their business name, three of which are physiotherapy centers.
The findings are forwarded to the Medical Associations and the National Transparency Authority, in order for the prescribed inspections to be carried out.
Mr. Georgiadis also argued that the platform’s “red” findings are constantly decreasing, something which, as he said, shows that beyond inspections there is also compliance by professionals who realize that the relevant practices are being detected.
The Patoulis case and the National Transparency Authority
The minister also referred to the complaints that have been made public regarding the president of the Athens Medical Association Giorgos Patoulis.
As he said, the Panhellenic Medical Association forwarded the relevant complaints to the ministry and he himself forwarded them to the National Transparency Authority, in order for them to be examined.
“Institutionally, we are all subject to scrutiny,” the minister said, explaining that, regardless of his personal relations with Mr. Patoulis, the body competent to judge whether these specific actions are lawful is the National Transparency Authority.
New committee for regenerative medicine
Mr. Georgiadis also announced that he signed the establishment of the committee that will examine the institutional framework for wellness and regenerative medicine, headed by the ministry’s secretary general, Lilian Miltiadou.
As he stressed, the aim is not for Greece to be excluded from this specific sector nor for wellness centers to be closed, but for a clear institutional framework to be created with priority given to patient safety.
The committee will examine the existing framework, any gaps that may exist and the conditions under which specific treatments can be carried out, subsequently submitting proposals to the Ministry of Health.
The minister described the initiative as important at the European level and said that the committee will begin operating in the coming days.
“I will not accept the overall devaluation of the medical community”
In closing, Adonis Georgiadis underlined that the operation of MedWatch should not lead to generalizations about doctors as a whole.
“Under no circumstances, as Minister of Health of Greece, will I accept the overall devaluation of the medical community,” he said, noting that “not all our doctors are frauds, nor are all our doctors offenders or potential offenders.”
As he said, the data so far show that the numerical level of potential offenders is below 1% of all doctors, calling on citizens to continue trusting their doctors.
The minister also clarified that the Ministry of Health does not have auditing authority for these specific inspections. MedWatch, as he explained, operates as a digital tool that identifies potential violations and informs the competent auditing mechanisms, so that they can decide whether and how to proceed with an inspection.
with information from ERT