Greek Reporter — Giannis Kastanis, the “doctor” who served as the director of Skyros Hospital, was given a life sentence by the one-membered Evian Criminal Court for practicing medicine despite not having a medical degree. according to reports in the Greek press the convicted man had worked as a waiter in Greek restaurants in the US before going to Italy to attend a first aid course. He submitted a forged qualification from Rome’s La Sapienza university and managed to get his qualifications approved by ΔΙΚΑΤΣΑ, the government agency that validates qualifications obtained outside Greece.
Mr Kastanis started his medical career working at Ag Andreas hospital in Patras before moving to Skyros.
He was arrested in the US after receiving a 22 month sentence by a Greek court in his absence, as he had managed to flee to the United States.
As the director of Skyros Regional Hospital he earned more than 600,000 euros over thirteen years.
Mr Kastanis told the court that he was unaware that his degree from Rome’s La Sapienza University was a forgery. After submitting it to the Health Ministry, he had managed to pass medical tests in Athens with flying colours and had served his agricultural tenure as a doctor before being appointed to other posts.
He insisted that “he was a doctor” while his sentence was being passed. The life sentence took into account that he had defrauded the Greek public out of a total of 667,000 euros while practicing medicine for thirteen years, serving as a doctor though he did not have a license.
A photographer acting as a radiologist at the same hospital was sentenced to two lifetime terms, however, he is abroad and was unable to be arrested.
