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Kyrgyz medical academy implicated in illegal body trade
MEDICINE AND HEALTH POLICY
Kyrgyz medical academy implicated in illegal body trade bodies in his exhibitions. He said he had worked on corpses and body parts obtained in Kyrgyzstan, but had returned them to the country for use by medical students. There is no suggestion that von Hagens was aware that bodies passed to his laboratory in Bishkek may have been acquired by the Medical Academy without the correct documentation. The police inquiry was launched when about 200 decaying corpses—some of which were allegedly acquired by the academy without legal coronary examinations—were found in the basement of von Hagens’ laboratory at the academy. An official Health Ministry statement released after the rector, Iskandar Aqilbekov, was fired said one of the reasons for his dismissal was inadequate supervision of von Hagens’ laboratory, but did not give further details. Police are continuing their criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged trade in corpses and body parts.
Rights were not granted to include this image in electronic media. Please refer to the printed journal.
AP
olice in Kyrgyzstan are investigating claims that the country’s medical academy coordinated an illegal trade in corpses and body parts. The rector of the academy has been fired in the wake of the allegations, which have rocked the impoverished central Asian state. A probe was launched after Akbokon Tashtanbekov, a member of the Kyrgyz parliament, claimed that the academy had bought corpses from prisons and hospitals without the consent of relatives, and then passed them to the controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, who is renowned for his international exhibitions of flayed human corpses. He established a laboratory in the Kyrgyz Medical Academy in 1996, and was awarded an honorary professorship by the institution. Speaking at a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, in October, von Hagens denied breaking any laws or using Kyrgyz
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Gunther von Hagens with an exhibit from “Body Worlds”
Tashtanbekov told The Lancet on Dec 1 that inquiries are now concentrating on the role of hospital and prison staff in preparing false paperwork that enabled trade. The Kyrgyz Medical
Academy declined to comment on the ongoing inquiry and von Hagens did not respond to The Lancet’s questions. Tom Parfitt
Italian GPs strike over long-awaited contract he second largest union of Italian family doctors SNAMI (Sindicato nazionale autonomo medici italiani) staged a 2-day strike last week in protest at the proposed terms of a long-awaited new contract for general practitioners (GPs). The previous agreement expired 3 years ago and, according to SNAMI regional secretary Antonio Slawitz, recent negotiations had stalled over plans to cut doctors’ salaries by 30% if their surgeries fail to reach annual economic targets. “The risk is that these ‘reforms’ could signal the start of a complete dismantling of the national health service”, he explained. “We don’t want to get to the point where we can’t deliver important medical treatment because we’ve exhausted the budget.” GPs are also angry that they have only been offered a 4·8% pay rise in line with inflation in the proposed 3-year deal which would amount to an extra €299 (US$360) a month before tax. Although this is 10% more than hospital doctors negotiated last year, GPs point out that they have to manage the running costs of their surgeries, including hiring personnel and buying equipment. “We don’t agree with the ‘doctor–manager’ role that is being imposed on us, nor with the budgetary constraints it entails”, said SNAMI director Edgardo Torelli. “If these proposals
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THE LANCET • Vol 362 • December 6, 2003 • www.thelancet.com
became law, doctors won’t be free to prescribe medicines using their own discretion but instead would have to do so with a focus on balancing the books.” Shadow health spokeswoman of the left-wing Margherita party, Rosi Bindi, described the strike as “a protest against government inertia and the failed management of an indecisive health ministry”. She argued that the country’s latest finance law (Finanziaria) was transferring the responsibility of monitoring health spending from the Health Ministry to the Treasury. “[The doctors’] exasperation is justified”, she commented. “The government is taking apart our proud heritage of competence and professionalism in health-care provision.” On Nov 25, 2 days before the strike, all 80 000 Italian GPs were set to walk out. However in a joint statement, other doctors’ unions which included the largest, FIMMG, (Federazione italiana medici di medicina generale) as well as specialists and paediatricians, said they had decided to “suspend” their action to offer a sign that they were “willing to reopen negotiations with local health authorities”. They threatened that future strike action could be taken at any time if deemed necessary. Gareth Carpenter
1903
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet publishing Group.
Kyrgyz medical academy implicated in illegal body trade bodies in his exhibitions. He said he had worked on corpses and body parts obtained in Kyrgyzstan, but had returned them to the country for use by medical students. There is no suggestion that von Hagens was aware that bodies passed to his laboratory in Bishkek may have been acquired by the Medical Academy without the correct documentation. The police inquiry was launched when about 200 decaying corpses—some of which were allegedly acquired by the academy without legal coronary examinations—were found in the basement of von Hagens’ laboratory at the academy. An official Health Ministry statement released after the rector, Iskandar Aqilbekov, was fired said one of the reasons for his dismissal was inadequate supervision of von Hagens’ laboratory, but did not give further details. Police are continuing their criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged trade in corpses and body parts.
Rights were not granted to include this image in electronic media. Please refer to the printed journal.
AP
olice in Kyrgyzstan are investigating claims that the country’s medical academy coordinated an illegal trade in corpses and body parts. The rector of the academy has been fired in the wake of the allegations, which have rocked the impoverished central Asian state. A probe was launched after Akbokon Tashtanbekov, a member of the Kyrgyz parliament, claimed that the academy had bought corpses from prisons and hospitals without the consent of relatives, and then passed them to the controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, who is renowned for his international exhibitions of flayed human corpses. He established a laboratory in the Kyrgyz Medical Academy in 1996, and was awarded an honorary professorship by the institution. Speaking at a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, in October, von Hagens denied breaking any laws or using Kyrgyz
P
Gunther von Hagens with an exhibit from “Body Worlds”
Tashtanbekov told The Lancet on Dec 1 that inquiries are now concentrating on the role of hospital and prison staff in preparing false paperwork that enabled trade. The Kyrgyz Medical
Academy declined to comment on the ongoing inquiry and von Hagens did not respond to The Lancet’s questions. Tom Parfitt
Italian GPs strike over long-awaited contract he second largest union of Italian family doctors SNAMI (Sindicato nazionale autonomo medici italiani) staged a 2-day strike last week in protest at the proposed terms of a long-awaited new contract for general practitioners (GPs). The previous agreement expired 3 years ago and, according to SNAMI regional secretary Antonio Slawitz, recent negotiations had stalled over plans to cut doctors’ salaries by 30% if their surgeries fail to reach annual economic targets. “The risk is that these ‘reforms’ could signal the start of a complete dismantling of the national health service”, he explained. “We don’t want to get to the point where we can’t deliver important medical treatment because we’ve exhausted the budget.” GPs are also angry that they have only been offered a 4·8% pay rise in line with inflation in the proposed 3-year deal which would amount to an extra €299 (US$360) a month before tax. Although this is 10% more than hospital doctors negotiated last year, GPs point out that they have to manage the running costs of their surgeries, including hiring personnel and buying equipment. “We don’t agree with the ‘doctor–manager’ role that is being imposed on us, nor with the budgetary constraints it entails”, said SNAMI director Edgardo Torelli. “If these proposals
T
THE LANCET • Vol 362 • December 6, 2003 • www.thelancet.com
became law, doctors won’t be free to prescribe medicines using their own discretion but instead would have to do so with a focus on balancing the books.” Shadow health spokeswoman of the left-wing Margherita party, Rosi Bindi, described the strike as “a protest against government inertia and the failed management of an indecisive health ministry”. She argued that the country’s latest finance law (Finanziaria) was transferring the responsibility of monitoring health spending from the Health Ministry to the Treasury. “[The doctors’] exasperation is justified”, she commented. “The government is taking apart our proud heritage of competence and professionalism in health-care provision.” On Nov 25, 2 days before the strike, all 80 000 Italian GPs were set to walk out. However in a joint statement, other doctors’ unions which included the largest, FIMMG, (Federazione italiana medici di medicina generale) as well as specialists and paediatricians, said they had decided to “suspend” their action to offer a sign that they were “willing to reopen negotiations with local health authorities”. They threatened that future strike action could be taken at any time if deemed necessary. Gareth Carpenter
1903
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet publishing Group.