Doctor fakes woman’s pregnancy to receive 96,000 euros in subsidies

A gynecologist at the Hospital de Abrantes faked a woman’s own pregnancy to improperly obtain 96,000 euros in Social Security subsidies.

The 38-year-old clinician and his partner are being tried in the Court of Santarém for the document falsification scheme. During the trial, the doctor said he was “regretful” and “ashamed” of what he did, but also assumed that he acted “out of pure greed”.

The couple has already returned the money to the State and is now awaiting the court’s decision. The doctor continues to practice, but in a private practice, since he was dismissed and denounced to Justice by the Hospital de Abrantes.

Hired a woman and claimed high-risk pregnancy

The fraudulent scheme began after the doctor hired the woman for his company, in exchange for a salary of 4750 euros.

Then he used the access credentials of two other clinicians at the hospital to enter the system that allows issuing prescriptions and certificates.

In this way, he registered his partner as a user of the hospital unit between 2020 and 2021 and, from then on, issued a total of nine certificates of temporary incapacity for work due to an alleged high-risk pregnancy, which never existed.

Social Security ended up paying for the fraudulent write-offs, which reached a total of 96,000 euros.