Cyprus’s medical and scientific community is sounding the alarm about the serious risks posed by medical procedures and health treatments at unlicensed centers, following the untimely death of popular singer Giorgos Mazonakis. Speaking on the “Alpha News” program, Dr. Marinos Sotiriou, Director of the American Medical Center, stated that a woman, who underwent plasmapheresis at an unauthorized center operating illegally in the Larnaca district and suffered extensive blood clots throughout her body, had to be hospitalized two years ago in the Intensive Care Unit at the American Medical Center.
“Her life was in danger, and unfortunately, the condition was very serious. Fortunately, she is well now, but we must be very careful not to demonize plasmapheresis. It is a specific treatment, with established protocols, that saves lives.”
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As he pointed out, the center in question was established and operated during the COVID-19 pandemic and promised treatments to patients experiencing long-term symptoms from COVID-19.
“People who suffer greatly from such conditions, in their desperation, seek treatments and centers of this kind, which subject patients to various therapies, including plasmapheresis and certain others, which are not scientifically proven.”
READ ALSO: Plasmapheresis in Cyprus: The Suspicious Center in Larnaca and the SOS Call Regarding “Criminal Acts” Following Mazonakis’s Death
Dr. Sotiriou argued that the center in question is highly active and has become a magnet for dozens of local and foreign citizens who come to Cyprus specifically to undergo treatments.
“This isn’t medical tourism—it’s quack tourism. As far as I know, there were some doctors there—I don’t know if they were from abroad—but there were certainly some locals as well. And the nursing staff was from both Cyprus and abroad.”
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The Director of the American Medical Center noted that cases have been on the rise recently due to the “prevailing obsession with longevity” spread through social media and influencers.
“There are disguised advertisements for these kinds of activities and treatments.”
READ ALSO: “Centers have recently opened, and the method has been publicized”: What Koumas says about plasmapheresis in Cyprus
When asked whether the center continues to operate, Dr. Sotiriou replied that it is likely, as there is a loophole and a lack of provisions in the relevant law to force it to close.
“It appears that such treatments are also being performed at other centers and abroad, with the promise that a patient will live longer.”
SEE ALSO: Cause of death for Giorgos Mazonakis remains undetermined; autopsy provided no answers
Dr. Sotiriou revealed that he knows several people who underwent treatments at the ill-fated center in Kolonaki where Giorgos Mazonakis breathed his last, and that he heard “some strange things from time to time.”
“People who aren’t easily convinced by scientifically based treatments were there on a regular basis.”
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