The investigation of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) into corruption in the Zwolle hospital Isala focuses on implantable electronic heart devices (ICDs) of the German company Biotronik. This is evident from research by NRC and the German weekly of the mirror.
Biotronik has a subsidiary in Nijmegen and sells cardiac technology such as ICDs, pacemakers and home monitoring systems. Justice suspects that Biotronik paid millions in bribes to medical specialists in exchange for preferential treatment. In the annual report, the subsidiary in Nijmegen writes that the Public Prosecution Service has been investigating “a few payments” in the past since 2020, according to the report. NRC.
About six thousand ICDs are placed in the Netherlands every year. The equipment for this costs 130 million euros. There are also costs for surgery and aftercare. Of the 28 heart centers in the Netherlands, most ICDs are placed in the Isala hospital in Zwolle. The only question is whether the doctors in Isala placed ICDs in exchange for personal gain, writes NRC.
As part of the investigation, the Public Prosecution Service has seized the homes of at least five medical specialists associated with the Isala hospital. Together they would have accepted 3.2 million euros in bribes.
Biotronik has previously had to make multimillion-dollar settlements for paying bribes to cardiologists. In the US, the company bribed medical specialists with luxury trips, large sums of money for fake training and lectures at conferences.
Tags: Investigation corruption Zwolle hospital Isala focuses German company
