OSAKA -- Labor authorities raided three Osaka Prefecture hospitals operated by a medical corporation and the home of the corporation owner Apr. 4 for alleged violation of the Labor Standards Law.
The officials from the prefecture's labor standards bureau searched Yamatogawa Mental Institution in Kashiwara and Osaka Ensei and Yasuda hospitals here, as well as the home of Mototaka Yasuda, 76, the owner of the Kitanishiki-kai medical corporation. Welfare ministry officials and Osaka prefectural authorities have already raided the three hospitals in connection with Kitanishiki-kai's alleged dubious operations, including false medical claims, and padding of the number of doctors and nurses.
Although the labor standards bureau questioned hospital authorities last March, they were reluctant to cooperate with the bureau's investigation, informed sources said. The bureau acted Apr. 4 because they fear the hospital may destroy documents concerning alleged violations of the Labor Standards Law by failing to pay wages to its employees, the sources said.
The authorities claim that Yasuda failed to pay 62,000 yen and 91,000 yen in wages, respectively, to a hospital helper and a security man. They also said that Yasuda deducted 10,000 yen from the December salary of a nurse as a penalty for the death of a patient she looked after, and Kitanishiki-kai failed to return to authorities within the required date the license of a nurse who resigned.