Misappropriation of funds, filthy kitchens
The Health and Welfare Inspection Service has become the right arm of the ministry’s leadership and in the past few months has been chasing cases which, through incompetence or intention, have blackened ESY’s image. Kaklamanis released data this week that included a report by the service for 2004. He also released the main conclusions of inspectors regarding the embezzlement of 20,592 euros by staff members of the outpatient department at Larissa General Hospital. Kaklamanis also presented the results of an official investigation into an incident at the University of Crete hospital in Iraklion, where an outbreak of gastroenteritis last week appeared connected to unsanitary conditions in the hospital’s kitchens. On Wednesday of last week, a total of 116 people came down with gastroenteritis due to salmonella poisoning. None suffered serious consequences. The report found that kitchen staff had not followed hygienic practices. Moreover, the health inspector had not ensured that disinfectants were available in the kitchens. In addition, no detergent was used in the kitchen’s dishwasher throughout Sunday, July 17, because the kitchen staff had run out of it. The report proposed that the wages of the health inspector and head of food services be cut for two months and that every cook in the hospital’s kitchens lose 10 days’ pay.
