In Poltava region, hospital director and ophthalmologists suspected of embezzling funds for free implants
Law enforcement officers reported suspicions to the head physician and two ophthalmologists of a hospital in the Poltava region, who are suspected of illegally embezzling funds from the National Health Service of Ukraine for free medical services. This was reported by the police and the prosecutor’s office of Kyiv region.
According to investigation, doctors intentionally created a situation in which there was allegedly a shortage of materials for operations, and forced patients to buy them from controlled suppliers. The scheme was organized by the 57-year-old head of the Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital named after M.V. Sklifosovsky, involving two more doctors in it.
Employees of the medical institution violated the contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine, in particular, they did not purchase the required number of artificial lenses of the eye, as a result of which patients were forced to buy them at their own expense. At the same time, doctors indicated in the electronic system that they used ophthalmic implants during operations, which were allegedly purchased by the hospital.
According to the investigation, the suspects entered false data for seven months. Law enforcement officers documented over a thousand such episodes, which caused losses of 11.5 million hryvnias. During searches at the medical facility, medical documentation was seized.
The doctors are charged with Part 2 of Article 364, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – abuse of official position for the purpose of obtaining unlawful benefit for another legal entity, use of official position contrary to the interests of the service, which resulted in grave consequences. The sanction of the article provides for 3 to 6 years of imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions.
Earlier in the Ternopil region, the head of the district hospital department was reported to be suspected of entering false information about diagnoses and interventions into the electronic health care system.
