Audit Conducted by the National Transparency Authority (NTA) at a Public Hospital in the Region of Epirus

Following an anonymous complaint submitted to the National Transparency Authority (NTA) via the Ministry of Health, a targeted audit was carried out at a public hospital located in the Region of Epirus. The objective of the audit was to assess the legality of contract award procedures for projects, supplies, and services through direct award during the fiscal year 2023.

Key Findings:

• In 2023, the audited institution entered into direct award contracts exceeding €4 million in total value, representing approximately 53% of the hospital’s overall contractual activity for that year.
• A significant portion of these contracts pertained to the procurement of laboratory reagents, angioplasty materials, orthopedic supplies, and medical consumables. These contracts were awarded through direct decisions by the hospital administrator, achieved by artificially splitting the institution’s procurement needs. This practice surpassed both the administrator’s annual procurement approval limit of €15,000 and the maximum allowable threshold of €30,000 for individual direct awards.
• As a result, the hospital bypassed mandatory open tender procedures and framework agreements, as well as oversight by the Hellenic Court of Audit, in contravention of national public procurement regulations.

The audit report has been formally transmitted to:

• The Minister of Health, for the exercise of disciplinary jurisdiction over the hospital administrator.
  - The Athens Court of Appeals Prosecutor, for the criminal assessment of the audit findings.