Senior Cardiologist Investigated for Allegedly Stealing Patient Blood for Research

Kaplan Medical Center is currently the scene of a serious investigation into allegations that blood samples were taken from patients for research purposes without their consent. The police are examining suspicions against a senior figure in the hospital's cardiology department, who is being questioned under caution, along with two other individuals who were detained for questioning. The investigation was initiated last month after the hospital's management filed a complaint upon learning of the sample collection during research activities within the cardiology unit. A spokesperson for the police confirmed that three suspects were detained for questioning on Thursday and that the investigation is being handled by the Central District's fraud and cybercrime unit. This development follows significant internal actions by the hospital, which, about three weeks ago, announced the complaint and suspended the senior official. His name is currently withheld due to the ongoing criminal investigation. This is not the first suspicion linked to the senior official; approximately two months prior, a report by Channel 13 revealed claims by a hospital intern that the official allegedly allowed cardiology interns to bypass training stages through falsified medical records. Following that exposure, the Israel Medical Association revoked the hospital's authority to train cardiology interns as long as the senior official remained part of the department's staff. The current police investigation aims to clarify how patient samples were collected for research and whether it was done without proper consent.