A new incident of wrong blood transfusion to a patient in a big private clinic in central Athens occurred early Monday morning. Three arrests. In a statement, the private clinic reassures that the 67-year-old patient’s life is not at risk. (see below).
According to preliminary media information, a nurse administered blood to a patient that was not intended for him but for another patient.
The mistake was noticed by the patient’s wife as his health deteriorated quickly. The wife also called the police.
The procedure was immediately interrupted, however, approximately 40 ml of the 200 ml bottle had already been administered, healthreport.gr reported.
The patient was transferred to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he is still hospitalized.
Police Officers of the Direct Action Division who rushed to the hospital arrested the 26-year-old nurse who allegedly made the mistake and two doctors, aged 32 and 50, for the offenses of exposure and serious bodily harm by complicity.
A preliminary investigation is being conducted for the incident by the Ambelokiponi Health Center.
The health Minister ordered a team of the National Blood Donation Center to check directly at the Clinic whether health protocols were followed during the transfusion.
First incident in July
It is recalled that a similar incident occurred beginning of July at the Tzaneio public hospital in Piraeus.
The transfusion of wrong blood type to a patient caused the death of the 62-year-old woman. She was hospitalized in ICU but the damage was irreparable. She was quickly declared “brain dead.” Her family donated her two kidneys.
The Health Ministry and the Hospital Administration ordered investigation on that incident that showed a series of omissions and failures caused by personnel shortage and not observance of safety protocols that dictate that a transfusion ought to be administered in presence of doctors and nurses.
The new incident on Monday causes a lot of concern for the safety protocols that are supposed to be followed strictly in blood transfusions and other medical procedures.
The private clinic’s announcement
The 67-year-old patient, who underwent a mistaken blood transfusion, is in good health and his life not at risk, the “Euroclinic of Athens” emphasized in an announcement about the incident that took place in the early hours of Monday, September 8, 2025.
In an effort to reassure its patients the clinic stresses that “the safety and care of our patients is an absolute priority and is treated with the utmost seriousness by all of our staff.”
“Today in the early hours of the morning, in an emergency transfusion to a patient of our clinic and in deviation from the strict procedures we apply, a unit of blood intended for another patient was administered. The incident was immediately noticed and the procedure was interrupted without delay.
The patient is in good health, is being closely monitored by our medical team and is not at risk.
The clinic has informed and is cooperating with the competent authorities.
The safety and care of our patients is an absolute priority and is treated with the utmost seriousness by all of our staff.“
