A 65-year-old retired colonel has testified as a witness in the case of a 55-year-old police officer, who had been admitted to the 424 General Military Hospital in Thessaloniki for an appendectomy but was not informed of a cancer diagnosis until one year later.
The witness testified that he had also experienced a similar ordeal at the same hospital, stating that in June 2019, he underwent surgery to remove a growing lump discovered a month earlier.
However, he claimed he found out several months later that he had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
The 65-year-old witness stated that his surgeon had assured him there was no need for a biopsy to be conducted at a specialized medical facility abroad.
The witness stated that a biopsy was eventually performed on a new lump that appeared in the same location approximately eight months later. He claimed that when he contacted the surgeon to inquire about the biopsy results, the surgeon reassured him not to worry, despite not having reviewed the biopsy results at the time.
The witness stated that he faced persistent difficulties obtaining the biopsy results and ultimately went to private clinic, which provided his with results within four days.
The 55-year-old police officer is pursuing legal action against two doctors at the 424 General Military Hospital after undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis in December, 2022, only to be informed a year later, based on biopsy results, that he had cancer.