FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A major scandal has erupted in Switzerland, after investigations into the Cardiac Surgery Clinic at the University Hospital of Zurich (USZ) revealed serious ethical violations and a death toll much higher than statistically expected.
According to the Swiss platform "Swissinfo", analysis for the period 2016-2020 shows that out of about 4,500 surgeries performed at the clinic, 68 to 74 more deaths were recorded than the normal expected rate.
The Zurich University Hospital itself has officially confirmed the existence of the problems and irregularities found during the investigation.
At the center of the scandal is Italian professor Francesco Maisano, who headed the cardiac surgery clinic at the time. The investigations focus in particular on the use of the “Cardioband” implant, a device for repairing heart valves, manufactured by a company in which Maisano had financial interests.
According to the report, the implant is suspected of being used inappropriately in at least 13 cases and could be linked to the high number of deaths recorded.
Zurich University Hospital has referred the cases to the Public Prosecutor's Office, including the deaths and the use of the Cardioband device, while authorities are investigating whether criminal offenses have been committed.
The investigation analyzed more than 300 patient deaths during Maisano's tenure. According to the documents, 75 problematic surgical procedures were identified, 64 deaths were considered "fairly unexpected" and 11 cases were described as "completely unexpected."
The report also harshly criticizes the hospital's management, emphasizing that the then leaders failed to exercise the necessary control and reacted too late to alarming signals.
According to the investigation, Maisano was appointed in 2014 without sufficient verification of his qualifications and professional interests.
The scandal came to light thanks to the denunciations of a former cardiac surgeon at the clinic, who had publicly raised concerns about irregularities and subsequently repeatedly demanded investigations into the clinic's activities.
The current director of Zurich University Hospital, Monika Jänicke, who took office in 2023, expressed gratitude to the whistleblower who helped uncover the case, although she did not comment on the fact that he lost his job after the reports.
Leku dhe perfitimi nuk pyet se ku je, ne Zvicer apo Honolulu, prof. Italian, rraca e mutit.