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Surgeon who owned hospital faces 69 charges of flawed treatment and four of manslaughter

BMJ 2008; 336 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39566.501725.DB (Published 01 May 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:983
  1. Ned Stafford
  1. 1Hamburg

A chief surgeon who also owned the village hospital in Germany where he practised is in jail awaiting trial in connection with the deaths of seven patients.

Arnold Pier, 52, has been accused by prosecutors in a 400 page court document of making incorrect diagnoses and carrying out unnecessary operations (such as removing appendices or gall bladders) at the St Antonius Clinic in Wegberg, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In addition, Dr Pier, who was also chief administrator at the hospital, allegedly followed lax standards of hygiene, including using lemon juice as a disinfectant during surgery.

Prosecutors issued a …

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