An anesthesiologist from Veldhoven has given two hundred children umbilical cord blood to cure autism or cerebral palsy in this way. This is apparent from a report from the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate. Patients stayed in a hotel near Veldhoven for a few days before treatment. The inspection has intervened and forbidden him to continue with the treatments.
The 51-year-old anesthesiologist Jens Fischer informs Omroep Brabant that he has stopped the treatments. He would have carried it out for an organization in Switzerland: Cord Blood Center Health (CBC Health).
In December 2024, the Inspectorate made an unannounced visit to the anesthesiologist. The conversation with the man showed that he had treated a total of 180 children who were struggling with autism. He also treated twenty children with cerebral palsy and twenty adults who had had a stroke.
Fischer believed that he could heal the patients with the blood. According to him, one of the children could count after the treatment, while it was not possible beforehand. “This patient was repeated three times,” the report can be read.
Hotel
Patients stayed in a hotel near Veldhoven for a few days before treatment. The day before the treatment he went there, where he explained the patient and asked for written permission. The document that patients signed stated that it was an experimental treatment, the report can be read.
According to the inspection, Fischer the patient administered the blood a day later via an infusion. That took about fifteen minutes. After that, the doctor still had contact with the patient to hear how it went. The further aftercare and evaluation of the treatment was again with CBC Health.
The majority of patients came from abroad, five patients came from the Netherlands. The doctor says that he has performed the treatments in a period of one and a half to two years.
Experimental treatment
The inspection has also conducted unannounced investigations at two dental clinics in Best and Oirschot. According to the report, the anesthesiologist worked there as a self -employed person. He provided anesthesia during dental treatments.
In Best, the inspection made a striking find: in a fridge in a storage room there was a used bag of umbilical cord blood from CBC Health. The location manager told the inspection to know nothing and did not recognize the blood bag.
In Oirschot, Fischer had its own treatment room at a dental practice. It has been searched, but whether he also carried out treatments there remains unclear.
No permit for ‘special medical operation’
According to the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate, treatment with umbilical cord blood falls under cell transplantation. This may only be carried out by university hospitals with the right permits, says head transplantation Gwendolyn of Gorkom of the Maastricht UMC. The anesthetist does not have that permit.
The Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate states in a response that it is doing research and keeps an eye on whether the anesthesiologist no longer performs the treatments. As long as this investigation goes, the inspection makes no further announcements.
Response from the anesthetist
Jens Fischer says he can’t say anything while the investigation is ongoing. He is in conversation with the inspection and hopes that he can perform his treatments again in the future.
“We are doing it, as the inspection wants it. I think it is strange that we are not allowed to do this. A lot of research has been done. Children waiting for this therapy are disappointed now.”