Farman Jeiranli, Director of the Tbilisi-based Medical Center ‘Lancet’ LLC., has been arrested in connection with a patients’ death following a liver transplantation in March 2016.
Jeiranli is facing charges for defrauding patients of substantial amounts, as well as for concealment of information concerning the circumstances posing risk to human life or health.
The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office launched a probe into ‘Lancet’ Medical Center’s activity after two Georgian nationals had died in the center following a liver transplantation.
The investigation has found that patients were provided misleading information. In early 2016, the Director of the Medical Center invited an Azerbaijani transplant surgeon to the team, who wasn’t certified in Georgia in any of the medical specialties and which is actually in violation of Georgian legislation.
The ‘Lancet’ Medical Center was carrying out an active promo campaign, both on TV and on social media, about a renowned Turkish transplant surgeon, who was operating in the clinic, offering consultations for free.
Two Georgian nationals turned to the medical center for consultations.
As they were told in the medical center, an urgent surgery was required that amounted to USD 40,000. The surgery would be conducted by a group of experts with the best track record for successful liver surgeries.
Both patients had to take out loans. They were operated on on three and eight March, 2016. Both of them died one week after the surgery.
“Before commencing the surgeries, F.J., the Director of ‘Lancet’ LLC, was obliged to inform the patients, donors and family members, of the risks associated with liver transplantation, notify the transplant council on those risks and receive permission for surgical operation, which he failed to do,” the Prosecutor’s Office pointed out in its statement.
Criminal proceedings were instituted under Paragraph 3, Articles 180 (large-scale fraud) and Paragraph 2, Article 147 (concealment or falsification of information concerning the circumstances posing risk to human life or health), which is punishable by 6-9 years in prison.