OSAKA -- The Osaka Prefectural Government revoked Oct. 1 the medical license of the Yasuda Hospital group, which is embroiled in a multimillion yen medical funding fraud.This marks the first time a hospital has had its medical license revoked due to illegal conduct, according to the Health and Welfare Ministry. Prefectural officials delivered the retraction notice Oct. 1 to Mototaka Yasuda, 77, director of the group, at the Osaka Detention House in Miyakojima Ward.The group's three hospitals have been shut down. They are Yasuda Hospital in Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka Ensei Hospital in Higashi Sumiyoshi Ward and Yamatogawa Hospital in Kashihara, Osaka Prefecture.The Kita Nishiki-kai medical corporation, which operated the Osaka Ensei and Yamatogawa hospitals, has been dissolved. The Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office has indicted Yasuda and two other top officials of the group for allegedly swindling local governments out of about 600 million yen by filing fraudulent medical expense claims. The three were arrested in July.However, investigators suspect the group as a whole fraudulently claimed 2 billion yen from public funds, sources said.
