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A Health Ministry complaint has triggered a police investigation into the operation of plasmapheresis machines at two centres in Cyprus, including a facility in Larnaca district that has previously attracted the attention of authorities.
The latest complaint was filed after Health Ministry officials inspected the Larnaca centre last Friday. Senior ministry official Carolina Stylianou said on Alpha TV that officials submitted their complaint to police on Monday and have asked the centre to stop operating while the investigation is under way.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that they had received a letter from the Medical Services Department referring to two centres where plasmapheresis machines had been identified.
The Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department has been instructed to examine, together with Medical Services officials, whether the machines are being operated in accordance with Cyprus legislation.
The complaint is the third submitted by the Health Ministry concerning the centre. Previous complaints had also been made in earlier years, although police concluded at the time that there was not enough evidence to establish a criminal offence.
Cyprus patient treated at centre
The investigation has renewed attention on the case of a 35-year-old woman from Cyprus who received treatment at the same centre where Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis was later reported to have undergone plasmapheresis.
Nephrologist Christos Iatrou told ERTnews that he became aware of the case around a year ago after being contacted by the director of an internal medicine department to assess the patient.
According to Iatrou, the woman had undergone numerous plasmapheresis sessions and her father said the family had paid tens of thousands of euros for the treatments.
The patient subsequently developed extensive thrombosis involving multiple blood vessels and required prolonged medical treatment.
Iatrou said the case was reported to the Medical Association, which carried out an inspection of the clinic. However, no plasmapheresis machine was found there at the time.
Questions over medical use
The centre began operating in Larnaca after the coronavirus pandemic and promoted plasmapheresis alongside treatments associated with long Covid and wellness. It also attracted clients from outside Cyprus.
Iatrou said plasmapheresis is a recognised medical procedure when used for specific conditions, but there is no established evidence that it can be used as an anti-ageing or longevity treatment.
He explained that therapeutic plasmapheresis is normally performed when a patient meets defined medical criteria, with international medical guidelines setting out circumstances in which it may be appropriate.
In Greece, Iatrou said, the procedure is carried out in hospitals or suitably equipped larger medical facilities, including some private institutions. The crucial requirements, he said, are appropriate equipment, trained personnel and proper medical supervision.
He also stressed that having an approved machine alone does not make a facility suitable for the procedure.
Iatrou said he had been informed that the machine involved had not been registered with the Medical Association and called for clear regulations governing practices of this kind.
The current police inquiry will determine whether the operation of the machines at the two centres complies with existing legislation.
