Kyamides, along with two other state doctors – Vasken Shahbenderian, who also served at the state hospital’s ENT department, and Dafnis Aristodemou, the head of Larnaca general hospital ENT department – was arrested last year in connection with taking backhanders to refer patients to a private hearing clinic.
The case emerged following a report of the management of the hearing centre in Nicosia that the three suspects had been allegedly paid some €143,000 in kickbacks from 2008 until the present. The three were allegedly taking advantage the state’s policy of subsidising various programmes for people suffering with hearing problems.
Specifically, for people who were born deaf, the state paid a €2,730 subsidy every four years and for pensioners over 65, €175 every four years.
The state granted €23,000 per implant but to be eligible, patients needed to have the approval of a state ENT, and their director. Reportedly, patients were taking tests at a specific health centre and were then visiting Kyamides at the Nicosia general hospital, where he signed relevant approvals to authorise state aid for their treatment at the private clinic.
The court heard that the suspects allegedly received between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of the sale price of the hearing aids.
Police said the doctors demanded €300 for attaching hearing aids to people with congenital problems, €85 for each pensioner, and €2,000 for implants.
Investigators said they have documents from the hearing centre detailing the dates and amounts paid to Kyamides since 2008. The total reached some €128,000.
As regards Aristodemou, he allegedly received 2,685 in backhanders, while the third doctor received €13,000 between 2010 and 2014.
The three doctors were tried separately on bribery charges.
The state granted €23,000 per implant but to be eligible, patients needed to have the approval of a state ENT, and their director. Reportedly, patients were taking tests at a specific health centre and were then visiting Kyamides at the Nicosia general hospital, where he signed relevant approvals to authorise state aid for their treatment at the private clinic.
The court heard that the suspects allegedly received between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of the sale price of the hearing aids.
Police said the doctors demanded €300 for attaching hearing aids to people with congenital problems, €85 for each pensioner, and €2,000 for implants.
Investigators said they have documents from the hearing centre detailing the dates and amounts paid to Kyamides since 2008. The total reached some €128,000.
As regards Aristodemou, he allegedly received 2,685 in backhanders, while the third doctor received €13,000 between 2010 and 2014.
The three doctors were tried separately on bribery charges.
Source: cyprus news
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