The chief engineer who was arrested in a bribery case at a hospital in Chiba Prefecture over the delivery of ECMO, an artificial heart-lung machine used to treat the novel coronavirus, used to work for a medical equipment sales company, and it was around this time that he met the president of the bribery company. Interviews with investigative officials revealed that it seems that

Hideki Yoshino (62), chief clinical engineer at the "Higashi Chiba Medical Center" in Togane City, said in March last year that he would sell medical equipment in Tokyo in return for the delivery of ECMO used for the treatment of the new coronavirus. On the night of the 1st, he was arrested on suspicion of accepting a bribe for receiving 1 million yen in cash from the company president.



According to the police, when the hospital ordered ECMO, it is suspected that the chief engineer instructed the hospital to procure it through the company of the president who was arrested on suspicion of bribery.



The police are investigating the relationship between the two, but it is believed that the chief engineer worked at another hospital in Tokyo and a medical equipment sales company until three years before working at this hospital, and it was during this time that he met the company president. It was learned from interviews with investigative officials.



Police are investigating the circumstances that led to the relationship.



Police have not disclosed the identity of the two men, citing an obstacle to the investigation.

The hospital where the chief engineer works "Deep apology"

"Higashi Chiba Medical Center" in Togane City, Chiba Prefecture, where the arrested chief engineer works, held a press conference on the morning of the 2nd.



In this statement, Yoichi Kono, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said, "I deeply apologize for causing such a scandal. We will clarify the facts in the future and do our utmost to prevent a recurrence so that it does not happen again. We will do our best to earn the trust of everyone in the region."