Dozens of corrupt medicals arrested in Hungary – VIDEO

Despite the law banning gratuity payments for doctors since the beginning of this year, dozens of doctors are being arrested for corruption in Hungary. Besides accepting forbidden tips, some of them issue fake immunity certificates to the patients, resulting in serious legal consequences. The perpetrators are caught just like in a spy movie; here are some examples!

As we previously reported, gratuity in Hungary is punished by imprisonment from the beginning of 2021. According to the governmental law, all healthcare workers, without exception, who take money from patients, can face imprisonment alongside the persons who gave the money. Despite all this, however, many Hungarian doctors are still not afraid of being involved in corruption.

„Doctor, could you please help me so that I should not go to jail?” – asked one of the patients from his doctor, who cordially accepted the request for EUR 840 (~HUF 300,000). This is how one of the corruption cases took place, at the end of which the National Defense Service investigators handcuffed the psychiatrist. The story has been revealed by the Hungarian news portal Blikk which also reports other similar corruption cases.

In July, a general practitioner and his assistant were caught after issuing false immunity certificates for EUR 140 (~HUF 50,000). As Police.hu reports,

if the court finds them guilty, they can be sentenced to up to 12 years imprisonment.

Not long after, in early September, two chief medicals and one of their assistants were arrested, after having accepted gratuity payments, even though there was a sign hanging outside in front of the office that they would not accept illegal tips. A sports doctor issued competition licenses without examination for EUR 112 (~HUF 40,000). A specialist collected money through the nurse for referring the elderly to the hospital – here, the nurse became a suspect as a criminal aide.

This year, investigators have reported 23 cases of accepting gratuity payments so far whose inspection started on 1st March by the National Defense Service.

The organisation is carrying out very serious investigation in order to screen out corruption. Their methods include wiretapping, bugging, bait investigation, intelligence surveillance, audio and video recording stuff such as camera goggles, a pen with a microphone, to mention some of the most basic tools.

Following a suspicious report, investigators create a clear decision situation for the person under investigation so that the person’s decision can be used as evidence in any criminal proceedings – explained the essence of the method by the representative of the organisation, adding that currently, a doctor can accept a gift worth EUR 24 (~HUF 8,750).

The expert also added that the National Defense Service is in contact with the Hungarian Medical Chamber, which has launched a campaign against gratuity in order to put order in the minds so that people do not go to the doctor with an envelope.

Read alsoThe majority of Hungarian babies are born in corruption – Fresh survey results

Source: blikk.hu; police.hu