Newsroom
Black Friday discounts are usually reserved for TVs, trainers and gadgets. Medical diagnoses and doctors' certificates, however, appear to have joined the bargain hunt, much to the annoyance of Athens' medical community.
The Athens Medical Association has demanded the immediate removal of online advertisements offering discounted medical services as part of Black Friday promotions, warning that healthcare should not be marketed like a clearance sale.
In a letter to the company behind the social media adverts, the association threatened legal action if the promotions were not withdrawn.
The advertisements reportedly encourage people to use an online platform for remote diagnoses, medical opinions and certificates, presenting the services as special offers, discounted deals and even gifts. Quite the shopping list, if an unusual one.
The association argues that such promotions violate the Code of Medical Ethics, risk misleading the public and undermine the medical profession.
Its objection is that medical care is not an ordinary consumer product. Unlike a discounted television or a pair of shoes, a medical diagnosis is governed by scientific standards and strict ethical obligations, not the countdown clock of a Black Friday sale.
