Alexis Balaoui, consultant nephrologist and clinical lead of the artificial kidney unit at Leros Hospital, issued a detailed response through Leros News to press release number 35 from the local doctors' union.
Dr Balaoui rejected claims that he had been absent from the unit. He said inaccurate information was causing distress to kidney patients on Leros and Kalymnos and damaging confidence in the public health service.
He said that during the period in question he was performing continuous active on-call duty as the hospital's only nephrologist. At the same time, the Leros unit had taken responsibility for patients from Kalymnos after the temporary suspension of that island's artificial kidney unit.
Dr Balaoui said he had worked exclusively at Leros General Hospital and Health Centre since 29 May 2026 and that his account was supported by official administrative records, decisions and duty rotas.
Speaking to Leros News, he said he loved his work and was deeply committed to providing the best possible care to kidney patients, supported by an experienced and highly capable team.
His aim, he said, was to put people first and further improve the unit for the benefit of the hospital and dialysis patients. He would not allow his name to be used in party-political disputes that did not concern him, and described uninterrupted nephrology care for patients from Leros and Kalymnos as a life goal.
At a time when Leros Hospital faced significant staffing needs and the artificial kidney unit was caring for more patients, the central requirement remained its safe and uninterrupted operation. The dispute was expected to be examined through the prescribed official procedures.
Dr Balaoui's full response
In response to press release number 35, Dr Balaoui said he felt obliged to restore the truth for kidney patients, residents of Leros and Kalymnos, and every citizen concerned by its contents.
Claims that he was supposedly absent from the artificial kidney unit did not reflect reality, he said.
During the period concerned, he was on continuous active duty from 20 to 26 July 2026, in accordance with the official rota of Leros General Hospital and Health Centre, as the hospital's only nephrologist.
During the same period, the Leros artificial kidney unit had assumed the additional responsibility of caring for patients from Kalymnos because their unit had temporarily suspended operations following a problem with its water treatment system.
He also stated that he had left his private work in Athens on 15 April 2026. From 29 May 2026, he had worked exclusively as a consultant nephrologist in the National Health System at Leros Hospital and had been appointed clinical lead of the artificial kidney unit.
All these points could be proved by official administrative documents, decisions, duty rotas and other service records, he said.
Publishing inaccurate information about the operation of the island's only nephrology unit caused unjustified anxiety among patients, undermined their trust in the public health system and made the work of professionals responsible for its safe daily operation more difficult.
For that reason, Dr Balaoui said he had initiated the prescribed administrative procedures to investigate the matter. He reserved every legal right to protect his personality, professional and scientific standing, and the reputation of the artificial kidney unit.
He concluded that he remained focused solely on his mission: providing safe and uninterrupted nephrology care to patients from Leros, Kalymnos and neighbouring islands.
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