Scandal in Zagreb: Former Head of Traumatology Dr. Dinko Vidović Caught Cheating Healthcare System with Expensive Prostheses!
Imagine this: a doctor who is supposed to care for your health is actually selling you a cat in a bag! Yes, you read that right. Dr. Dinko Vidović, the former head of the Traumatology Clinic in Zagreb, has been caught damaging the Croatian healthcare system in a way that sounds like a scene from a crime movie.
What happened?
According to a report filed by his successor, primarius Srećko Sabalić, Dr. Vidović implanted cheap, so-called primary knee prostheses in patients but billed the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) for significantly more expensive, so-called revision components. The price difference between what was implanted and what was charged is about 30,000 kuna! Yes, 30 thousand kuna taken from the public healthcare system this way.
How many cases?
The report mentions as many as 25 such operations in the first half of the year, where the same pattern was repeated. Patients received standard implants of the Attune brand, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, but the hospital billed HZZO for more expensive revision components used only in more complex cases.
How was this possible?
While performing these questionable procedures, Dr. Vidović was also an international instructor for Johnson & Johnson, which sheds additional light on a possible conflict of interest. Although the management of KBCA Sisters of Mercy confirmed they had no knowledge of these malpractices, HZZO launched an extraordinary audit.
What followed?
After the report was filed, Dr. Vidović resigned from his position as head of the clinic but was not removed from the hospital. Instead, he was demoted to a lower position within the same clinic, which many consider a weak response to such abuse.
Why does this matter?
This is not just a story about one person cheating the system. It’s about how public money, all of our money, can be abused in healthcare. While patients believe they are getting the best care, someone else is counting money on their account.
What do you think?
Is this just the tip of the iceberg? How many more such cases exist? And why aren’t these things punished more severely? If you have your opinion or have encountered similar situations, drop a comment below. Let the voice of the people be heard – maybe your story will spark change!
Meanwhile, let’s keep our fingers crossed that HZZO and the authorities continue their audits and that justice prevails. Because health is not a commodity for manipulation, and taxpayers’ money is not for scams.
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