Greece: ELAS party alleges healthcare oversight gap since 2019

The ELAS political party has issued a statement alleging a significant regulatory gap in the Greek healthcare sector since 2019. The party claims that the abolition of the Health Services and Welfare Inspectors Body (SEYYP) in August 2019, following legislation by the New Democracy government, has left the sector without specialized oversight.

According to the statement, the responsibilities were transferred to the National Transparency Authority, which ELAS argues lacks the specialized expertise and capacity to conduct the rigorous inspections previously performed by SEYYP. The party asserts that this lack of oversight affects both public and private hospitals, clinics, and medical institutes, potentially allowing irregularities and illegal medical practices to go unchecked.

ELAS noted that in July 2025, the Minister of Health proposed a regulation to transfer health inspectors from the National Transparency Authority back to the Ministry of Health. The party is calling for the immediate restoration of an independent, fully staffed, and specialized health inspection body, as well as public accountability regarding the number and results of inspections conducted between 2019 and 2026.