Throughout my long academic career, I was fortunate enough to experience significant events and exceptionally interesting stories. I felt the need to recount all these events, as they hold broader interest. Many shed light on unknown aspects of incidents that moved Greek society. Other stories profoundly shocked me, and I felt it would be worthwhile to include them in my book.

This book is by no means a literary work. It is a collection of true stories, without a trace of fiction. It is exactly as I experienced them...

FOREWORD 9

INTRODUCTION 11

THE DIFFICULT YEARS 13

COLONEL CHOICH 20

AN UNPATRIOTIC CITIZEN 25

GEORGE P. KARTER 29

A DIFFICULT NIGHT 35

PROFESSOR SAKIS KARAGIORGAS 37

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? 42

THE BRAVE WIN 46

An UNEXPECTED VISITOR 59

THOSE UNFORGETTABLE... CHRISTMASES 62

MY FRIEND FROM EASTERN GERMANY 66

MY FRIENDS FROM TURKEY 73

The ELEGY OF A LOVE 80

A MEDICAL ERROR 84

JIA-THERMIA 88

THE POLISH SURGEON 92

EXPERIMENTAL SURGERIES 97

PEOPLE, LAB ANIMALS AND THE "SCALPEL" IN ETHICS 105

MY SEA 110

SHALL WE GO TO AEGINA? 118

THE ACADEMIC SURGEON 126

UNIVERSITY ECHOES 133

MY TEACHER 138

BEFORE THE END OF HIPPOCRATIC MEDICINE 147

PROSPECTS OF SURGERY ON THE THRESHOLD OF OUR CENTURY 154

REFERENCES AND THOUGHTS ON HEALTH 163

THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR 165

MEDICINES – DIFFERENT EXPENSES, DIFFERENT WASTES 168

ABUSE OF PARACLINICAL EXAMINATIONS 171

DEFENSIVE MEDICINE 173

MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ACCIDENTS 175

QUALITY CONTROL OF HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED IN SURGERY 178

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN EXCERPT 181

SCANDALS IN HEALTH – WHO IS TO BLAME? 184

THE GREAT EXODUS OF DOCTORS 186

HOW RELIABLE IS MEDICAL INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET 189

THE NHS AND OTHERS 192

MY FRIENDS WHO LEFT 195

ANTONIS SAMARAKIS (1919–2013) 196

MANOLIS ANAGNOSTAKIS (1925–2005) 198

GIANNIS RITSOS (1909–1990) 200

NIKOS XYLOURIS (1936–1980) 202

KOSTAS KEFALOGIANNIS (1916–1918) 204

SIR JOHN VANE (1927–2004) 206

PROF., DR MED GUNTTER BLUMEL 207

ELENI PAPAPOLITI (1919–2011) 209