Whistle Blowing doctor received an award – Helsingborgs Dagblad

The four doctors who exposed the cheating surgeon Paolo Macchiarini has got a unique visselblåsarpris – the Swedish Surgical Society.

doctors Dr Grinnemo and Oscar Simonsson uncovered the cheating surgeon Paolo Macchiarini at the Karolinska Institute. On Wednesday they received and their absent colleagues Matthias Corbascio and Thomas Fux a price of Swedish Surgical Society at the ongoing Surgeon Week in Malmo, for daring to act whistleblower. photo: Daniel Rydénn

“We want to honor the courage and strength you showed as a whistleblower,” reasoned the board at the ongoing Surgeon week in Malmo.

– Thanks. But please think carefully before you become whistleblower. For the cost of said Karl Grinnemo, consultant and thoracic surgeon at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

Along with his three colleagues Oscar Simonsson, Thomas Fux Matthias Corbascio fought Grinnemo for years to expose the Italian researcher Paolo Macchiarini as cheaters.

With a falsified résumé got Macchiarini 2010 employment at KI, where he faked research results without anyone intervening. Without method scientifically tested operated Macchiarini into synthetic larynges in three patients. Two of them died, the third living but has for four years been treated in intensive care and underwent a total of 190 surgical procedures.

Four doctors decided in 2013 to call attention Macchiarinis cheating, but KI’s leadership backed the accused and threatened whistle-blowers with dismissal. First, then SVT attention to the matter became public matter. During the winter and spring of 2016 grew case Macchiarini into an international scandal that has thoroughly corrupted KI’s reputation.

– One can only hope that the case Macchiarini gets a wake at Swedish universities, said Professor Anders Ekbom when Sweden Surgeons meeting discussed research misconduct at its annual meeting in Malmo.

How many researchers cheat? In previous surveys allow 2 percent of respondents said they have been fabricated or falsified data. 14 percent say they know a colleague who made it. 72 percent know of a colleague who engage in “questionable research practices.” But the number of unreported cases is high, and in Sweden believed many cheaters go free because research fraud is not a crime, but one thing that universities themselves should sort it out.

Sweden needs a government agency that investigates allegations of fraud in the research, they agreed debating doctors at the Surgical week on.

– It’s too much conflict of interest and corruption at universities, at least at KI that I know of, ‘said Dr Grinnemo.

Back in the spring got the four whistle-blowers at KI price of anti-corruption organization Transparency International. In 2016, the number of notifications of suspected research fraud has increased significantly at KI. But the whistleblowers about fraud risk their careers, warns Dr Grinnemo:

– Is anyone thinking of becoming a whistleblower so think again. And do not forget to pay the fee to the union. Without their support to survive, you do not.

– And above all: do not be alone. We were four and even that was tough.

Macchiarini is now the subject of dozens of investigations, including by prosecutors for aggravated manslaughter. But, says Dr Grinnemo:

– Paolo Macchiarini is still cleared by KI.