Investigation launched into failed air transport of lung transplant patient

On February 2, 2026, a 38-year-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease lost a life-saving opportunity for a lung transplant due to a failure in air transport coordination. The Health Insurance Organization (HIO) was notified by the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens at 23:10 regarding graft availability, requiring the patient to arrive in Greece by 03:00. Although the HIO initiated contact with contracted air ambulance companies at 23:18, none were able to provide a flight within the necessary three-hour window. The HIO attributed the failure to an 'objective inability' to find a flight rather than negligence, stating that no commercial options were available. Health Minister Neofytos Charalambides ordered an immediate investigation into the incident on February 12 and demanded a structured action plan for future emergency transplants. This plan must include predefined primary and alternative transport options with clearly assigned roles for officials. Former Health Minister Michalis Damianou and Health Committee Chairman Efthymios Diplaros expressed concern over the coordination breakdown. The HIO suggested that future cases might require the use of the presidential aircraft or military assets from the National Guard and British Bases.