[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has uncovered a 'samu-jang hospital' that opened a nursing hospital with false documents and claimed 63 billion KRW in nursing care benefits, as well as a medical device salesperson who wore a doctor's gown and directly participated in surgeries.
The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 30th that after establishing a medical investigation team in March last year to eradicate illegally established medical institutions threatening the health and lives of residents, they have filed criminal charges for nine illegal acts in the medical field within about a year, and sent five of these cases to the prosecution with recommendations for indictment.
Among the major cases uncovered, real estate businessman Mr. A established a medical corporation and opened a nursing hospital. Investigation revealed that he created a fake deposit balance certificate worth 2.2 billion KRW through a loan shark and submitted it to the local health center, and most of the assets that were supposed to be contributed to the medical corporation were not actually contributed.
Nevertheless, during the hospital's operation, he embezzled corporate funds and managed the hospital poorly, accumulating debts. Eventually, he sold the non-profit medical corporation to construction businessman Mr. B, who had been demanding payment for hospital construction costs.
Mr. B, who acquired the medical corporation, hired his family members as hospital staff and paid them high salaries. He also registered fake caregivers on documents and paid them caregiving fees, then embezzled corporate funds by receiving the money back in cash except for a service fee. Over the past 14 years, Mr. A and Mr. B operated the nursing hospital and received a total of 63 billion KRW in nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service.
Mr. C, who invested funds in a nursing hospital located in Gyeonggi Province and collected profits, established a medical corporation and opened a nursing hospital himself after the invested nursing hospital closed. He then registered investors and their spouses as corporate executives and paid salaries to collect investment returns. Mr. C received 12.4 billion KRW in nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service.
Medical device salesperson Mr. D hired a doctor to open a urology clinic and impersonated a doctor himself, performing unlicensed medical acts 65 times, including participating in surgeries alongside the doctor in the operating room.
Office manager Mr. E, who hired an elderly pharmacist to open a pharmacy, was caught preparing and selling pharmaceuticals as if he were a pharmacist, substituting for the pharmacist who only came to work three days a week.
Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare, stated, "To establish an effective process for reporting suspected samu-jang hospitals, administrative investigations, investigation requests, criminal charges, and investigations, we will strengthen closer cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Health Insurance Service, and local health centers in cities, counties, and districts. Going forward, the Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare will further strengthen investigations to protect residents' health rights and establish a fair medical order."
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