FUKUOKA - A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.
According to investigative sources, police on June 5th referred documents to prosecutors concerning the director of a maternity clinic in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, and a former staff member of Peruvian nationality. The former staff member is suspected of performing medical procedures related to childbirth in August 2023 despite not holding a Japanese medical license, while the director is suspected of allowing the procedures to take place despite knowing the man was unlicensed.
The case has sparked concern because the alleged actions occurred in a delivery room, where the lives of both mother and child can be at risk.
One woman who gave birth at the clinic told local media that she believed the man was a doctor because nurses referred to him as "sensei" and he regularly participated in medical procedures.
"He was always called a doctor by the nurses around him, so I never doubted that he was a physician," she said.
The woman and her husband provided video footage recorded during the birth of their child. The footage appears to show the man applying strong pressure to the woman's abdomen during labor in an effort to assist delivery.
The woman said she had entrusted her life and her baby's life to the man at the time, only later learning that he did not possess a medical license.
Investigators allege that the former staff member, a man in his 60s, was involved in a range of medical activities. The woman said he performed an external cephalic version, a procedure in which a fetus is manually rotated through the mother's abdomen to correct a breech position. The procedure is normally carried out by licensed physicians or qualified midwives because of risks including fetal distress and premature delivery.
"He suddenly turned my abdomen without asking for permission," the woman recalled. "There was no explanation and no request for consent."
She also said the man remained beside her throughout labor and continued providing treatment immediately before the birth.
Video from the delivery room reportedly shows him pressing down forcefully on her abdomen while the baby was being delivered. The maneuver, which applies pressure from above to assist childbirth, carries risks including uterine rupture if performed improperly.
Although the baby was delivered safely, the woman suffered severe postpartum bleeding and lost nearly four liters of blood. She was transferred by ambulance to a general hospital and spent three days in intensive care. Investigators have not established any connection between the hemorrhaging and the alleged unlicensed medical treatment.
The experience has nevertheless left a lasting emotional impact.
"I thought I would be holding my baby and feeding my child right away," she said. "But that didn't happen. Even years later, I still think about what I wanted to do at that time."
The woman's husband became suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the birth and visited the clinic the following day to seek an explanation. According to a recorded conversation, the clinic director acknowledged that the man was not a doctor.
"That foreign gentleman is not a doctor," the director said. "He is a consultant for fathers. He cannot speak Japanese well enough to pass Japan's national medical examination, but he has the technical skills."
The director also defended the treatment provided at the clinic and denied wrongdoing regarding the woman's emergency transfer after childbirth.
"I have nothing to hide," he said. "We did everything we could. I think she was saved because the treatment went well."
The clinic's current management told reporters that the Peruvian staff member had left the clinic about two years ago and described his role as that of an interpreter. The clinic denied allegations that he had performed medical procedures.
The woman disagreed, saying the issue extends beyond her own experience.
"When I think that both my baby and I could have died, I believe this is something that should never have happened," she said. "I want them to think seriously about what was taken away from people."
Legal experts noted that staffing shortages in the medical sector, particularly among midwives and obstetrics personnel, have become increasingly severe in Japan. Some observers suggest the clinic may have relied on an unlicensed worker to fill staffing gaps, though investigators have not publicly identified a motive.
The case remains under investigation, and prosecutors will now decide whether to pursue formal charges against the clinic director and the former staff member.
Source: KBC
