Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis, a beloved judge on The Voice in Greece, died on September 9 at the age of 54 after a plasma exchange treatment led to a sudden cardiac arrest. The treatment, which removes plasma from the blood and replaces it with another fluid or donor plasma, is used for serious medical conditions but some clinics offer it as an anti-ageing procedure.
Hospital statement and arrest
Elpis Hospital, where Mazonakis was taken, confirmed the news in a statement: "At 4:45pm, he was brought in by EKAB ambulance without spontaneous breathing and with no pulse. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in accordance with protocol, without success. The official time of death was 5:40pm."
The married doctors who operate the clinic, Dr Ioanna Gaka and Dr Ilias Theodoropoulos, have been arrested. Both deny wrongdoing and remain in custody pending trial.
Criminal investigation
Greek television channel MEGA reports that his death has become a criminal investigation, with police allegedly finding searches on the doctor's phone for how to perform resuscitation on ChatGPT. YNetNews also reported that authorities are investigating why a plasma exchange machine was allegedly operating in the clinic and whether the clinic was authorised to use it. Questions have been raised over what medical treatment Mazonakis received and why emergency services were not called earlier.
Athens Medical Association president Giorgos Patoulis said the treatment is "a specialised medical procedure" which requires not only appropriate machinery but also specialised staff and standards.
Career and legacy
Mazonakis was a huge star in both Greece and Cyprus, rising to fame with his work on contemporary Greek laïko music, a pop-folk style from the 50s and 60s. He also served as a judge on the Greek version of The Voice in recent years.
