The report from the Inspectorate-General of Health Activities (IGAS) has confirmed suspicions involving dermatologist Miguel Alpalhão, revealing a series of irregularities in the coding and payment process for surgeries conducted at Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon.
The IGAS report is described as devastating, affirming earlier reports from various media outlets. Miguel Alpalhão reportedly scheduled dermatology appointments for his parents without prior referrals and proposed surgeries, asserting the procedures were highly prioritized due to the patients’ specific clinical conditions.
These operations reportedly cost the Integrated System of Surgery Registration Management (SIGIC) nearly 9,000 euros, with payments to Miguel Alpalhão amounting to 5,500 euros.
IGAS concluded that multiple failures occurred in the case involving Miguel Alpalhão, who earned 400,000 euros over 10 Saturdays. The report highlights failures in control mechanisms, biometric records, and departments responsible for planning, processing, and internal control.
The inspectors noted that Dr. Alpalhão issued and approved 450 surgical proposals and executed 356 surgical acts. There was a lack of oversight on the process that allowed him to propose and conduct surgeries, subsequently assigning them monetary value, leading him to earn 714,176.42 euros from additional surgical activities.
Further failures were identified in areas such as biometric attendance records related to additional surgeries, and numerous violations of the SIGIC manual were noted, particularly in the coding of procedures at body locations that did not meet required definitions.
The IGAS report has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, where a criminal investigation is underway. It has also been sent to the Minister of Health’s office, the hospital’s board, and Dr. Miguel Alpalhão himself.
