The Department of Health yesterday said any victims of fraudulent medical treatment should seek compensation, after 17 hospitals in six counties were found to have employed unlicensed staff over the past seven years.
Tainan prosecutors said they found personnel at hospitals in Miaoli, Yunlin, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Hualien counties with fake IDs and medical licenses. Prosecutors believe the imposters were part of a ring led by former Taitung physician Hung Ming-ching (洪明清).
Health department Medical Affairs Department Director Chou Dao-chun (周道君) said that anyone found to be practicing medicine without proper qualifications faced up to five years in prison and a fine of between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million (US$45,000).
“Victims [of malpractice] are encouraged to apply for compensation from the hospitals that hired these people,” Chou said.
The health department was trying to ascertain whether authorities at the hospitals knew they had hired unlicensed personnel, Chou said.
“If so, the hospitals will be closed,” he said.
Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office Spokeswoman Lee Ching-wen (李靜文) said the imposters all had backgrounds in biology, nursing and other areas related to medicine but were not qualified to practice as physicians.
“We need to figure out how they gained employment at hospitals with fake IDs, diplomas, licenses, etc. Those who hired them will also be investigated,” she said.
Lee said prosecutors were still trying to determine how many people were involved in the ring. At least 17 people have been questioned so far, including Hung, who once worked at a public clinic on Taitung County’s Orchid Island, she said.
But Taitung County Department of Health Director Lu Chiao-yang (呂喬洋) said he had never heard of Hung.
“I’ve never heard of him. Could this be a mistake or a misunderstanding?” Lu said.
Lee said Hung took advantage of his former position and connections to help people get part-time jobs or night shift positions in hospital emergency rooms starting seven years ago.
Prosecutors, who began their investigation a few weeks ago, yesterday arrested and detained Hung and four others, including Lung Chih-hung (龍啟宏), Yen Juei-teng (顏瑞騰), Huang Tsu-ho (黃祖和) and Chen Wu-hung (陳武宏), after judges granted detention requests.
“In the past, this kind of medical scam was only seen at small, local clinics. But we are quite surprised that [unlicensed] people were able to get work at major hospitals this time,” Lee said.
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