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ACCUSED: Ophthalmologist Jens Kratholm is charged with fraud. This file image is from the year 2000. Photo: Terje Mortensen
After a lengthy investigation, the police issued an indictment against ophthalmologist Jens Kratholm in Narvik.
Nordland police are charging an ophthalmologist with fraud against several thousand patients. They write this in a press release.
– Every investigation and operation that you have carried out counts as fraud. You have been paid extra for services, police lawyer Trond Lakselvhaug explains to VG.
Ophthalmologist Jens Kratholm himself believes the accusation is unfounded, his lawyer Tor Stand tells VG.
He also says that he should have accepted payment for things that they should not have received, but he does not know what it is.
Revised Health North
Kratholm himself has told NRK that the problem has been that Helse Nord did not know the tariff rules well enough.
– I have adhered to the rate regulations for all years. Patients suspect that they have paid too much and contact Helse Nord, who cannot help them because they do not understand the pricing rules. So Helse Nord tries to explain this further to the police, without even understanding the regulations, he told the channel this summer.
NRK has also reported that the ophthalmologist himself has denounced Helse Nord for fraud. It is unclear what the status of this review is in December.
Between January 2012 and December 2018, according to the police indictment, he is said to have asked patients to pay more than NOK 12 million, at the same time that he was also paid for exams from the National Insurance System.
Must have paid for undelivered services
– In addition, he made patients pay for other services and / or material that they did not receive, by not saying that he had been charged for something that he had not delivered, is stated in the indictment in the Ofoten District Court.
The police claim that the scams are applied to a large number of patients and that they do not have an overview of the total number of people affected.
It was in October 2017 when Helse Nord reported the ophthalmologist on suspicion of fraud by several patients over a period of five years. Subsequently, the position was expanded to cover all patients seen by the doctor.
– Bold by police
Ophthalmologist advocate Tor Strand tells VG that he had a brief meeting with his client today.
– You think the accusation is unfounded. He has not been paid more than his fair share under the regulations, Strand says. He had expected the case to be dropped due to the strict testing requirements.
The attorney believes that the prosecution does not provide a complete description of what the ophthalmologist should have done.
– I think the police dare to press charges. We’ll see what that calculation looks like. Then you need to look at each individual payment and compare it to what you are entitled to.
The allegations that the doctor should have paid for services he did not perform, Strand says neither he nor his client know what it is about.
The case is being updated.
