ATHENS – Health Minister Thanos Plevris on Wednesday denied reports that ICU beds were being “reserved” for selective admission of patients, saying that these were entirely untrue.

“Regarding the complaints that there is selective admission of patients to ICUs, it should be clarified that the patients who need an ICU are declared by doctors on the relevant platform…All hospitals that have empty ICU beds see the requests and, based on medical criteria, they accept the patient into the empty ICU bed that they have following a decision made by doctors,” Plevris said.

He stressed that “reports that ICU beds are kept in reserve or that there is selective admission are completely false and primarily offend doctors,” and concluded: “Those who circulate fake news operate as slanderers and are accountable to the doctors, whom they insult”.