Lodz, Poland
Polish prosecutors have charged two doctors in Lodz with “failing to assist” 18 patients—who subsequently died—in exchange for kickbacks from local funeral parlors. Police have been investigating the gruesome bribery ring in Poland’s second-largest city since January, when the national newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza ran an exposé. The paper claimed that ambulance crews were delaying their arrival at medical emergencies and sometimes administering improper drugs on purpose. The crews—which in Poland typically include doctors, not EMTs—then tipped off certain funeral parlors of the resulting deaths and collected a fee. Investigations are now under way in at least 10 other Polish cities.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What are the different types of nuclear weapons?The Explainer Speculation mounts that post-war taboo on nuclear weapons could soon be shattered by use of 'battlefield' missiles
-
Floral afternoon teas to enjoy during the Chelsea Flower ShowThe Week Recommends These are the prettiest spots in the city to savour a traditional treat
-
How to plan a trip along the Mississippi RiverThe Week Recommends See this vital waterway from the Great River Road
