Six medics at Plovdiv's St. George hospital face criminal charges over an organized crime ring that billed Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund for fake hospital stays, Plovdiv district prosecutor Vanya Hristeva said. Three of them were held for up to 72 hours.

Among those detained is the head of the rheumatology clinic. The charges fall under article 256 of the criminal code, which carries a sentence of 3 to 15 years in prison and confiscation of assets. Three of the accused were released on bail of between €3,000 and €5,000.

Deputy district prosecutor Dimitar Pehlivanov said the investigation began after a tip about a large number of hospital admissions and huge sums billed to the health fund. Over three years, the clinic received €12m from the fund for 24,000 billed treatment cases, in a ward with 49 beds. Pehlivanov said not all of that money was taken unlawfully.

But witness statements, including from doctors at the clinic, and a review of the records point to wrongdoing, Pehlivanov said. Many patients listed as hospitalized never set foot in the clinic. Others only came in for tests. During the raid, investigators found 15 patients missing altogether.

Prosecutors say the health fund money was split under internal rules between dividends, doctors' pay and the cost of medical supplies, with doctors' pay tied to how many patients each of them admitted. Pehlivanov said a few doctors who refused to go along with the scheme were "punished" with fewer beds to fill, which cut their pay to around €1,500, while others who admitted taking part called themselves "health hustlers."

Pehlivanov said the clinic discharged patients with poor health readings, then drew blood from other people for follow-up tests to free up a bed for a new admission. Some of the patients falsely listed as hospitalized went through a medical board and were given sick leave certificates, and in other cases the false records were used to get disability rulings from the TELK medical commission.

Since 2022, the clinic's head doctor has owned a medical centre, run together with his wife and daughter, which sent 5,000 referrals for hospital admission to the clinic. Under the clinic's internal rules, it kept 40% of the money paid out by the health fund, and the head doctor personally took around €6,902 (13,500 leva).

Prosecutors are also looking into the hospital's nephrology clinic, whose head doctor likewise owns a medical centre that sent it many referrals. In the rheumatology clinic, investigators found large amounts of medicine, some past its expiry date, some brought in from abroad, along with costly drugs stored the wrong way. They are also checking clinical trials of doubtful origin and conduct.

Yesterday, police carried out 40 searches in Plovdiv, Karlovo and Krichim, detaining six doctors and four nurses. The investigation, which has been running for several months, is being overseen by the Plovdiv district prosecutor's office.

The Bulgarian Drug Agency is still checking the clinic's medicine records. Health minister Katya Ivkova said her ministry is launching checks across the country into how health funds are being spent.