Prosecutors indicted five people on Monday in a medical scandal. This unlicensed surgery case involves two physicians and three medical device vendors. The Taichung District Prosecutors Office charged them with fraud and violating the Physicians Act.
The unlicensed surgery occurred at Taichung Veterans General Hospital between March 2023 and October 2025. Two physicians allowed three vendors to enter operating rooms for 13 surgeries. Vendors illegally performed bone screw implantation, electrocoagulation, and tissue extraction. They also carried out endoscopic spinal fusion operations. The defendants charged patients high out-of-pocket fees without disclosing the truth. They also applied for National Health Insurance reimbursements illegally.
The three vendors confessed and surrendered NT$330,000 in illicit gains. The five defendants obtained more than NT$1.96 million illegally. Vendors shared proceeds from medical device sales with the two physicians as public relations fees. This unlicensed surgery undermined medical ethics and violated patient rights.
The Taichung City Health Bureau referred the case to prosecutors in January. Investigators reviewed phone records, surgery footage, and medical records. The bureau suspended both physicians from practicing medicine. The hospital received a NT$100,000 fine for failing supervisory duties. The hospital initially denied vendor participation. Video footage later proved otherwise. The hospital then suspended three doctors linked to the case.
