The U.S Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) and Polish prosecutors have launched an investigation into what they’re calling “the largest corruption investigation in the health service,” Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza reported.

“Did the American concern, which makes orthopedic equipment, have an illegal fund for bribing doctors and hospital directors in Poland?” Gazeta Wyborcza muses. “The Katowice prosecutor’s office is investigating the issue together with the FBI.”

U.S concern Stryker Corp is being probed to see whether it handed out bribes to more than 100 medical staff in exchange for favoring the company in tenders for medical equipment.

The investigation will cover 51 hospitals across the country, where corruption may have taken place between the years 2003 and 2006.

The company even allegedly set up a special fund to bribe doctors with, the Polish media reported. After Stryker won a tender, the medical official involved would reportedly receive 10 per cent of the tender value in the form of an expensive holiday, for example.

Stryker makes specialist medical apparatus such as implants, and prostheses for joints and the spine.