At the centre of the allegation is that organs were removed and transplanted in cases where the cause of death was not natural, without the consent procedure required from prosecutors. Taiwanese law requires prosecutorial confirmation where a death is classified as unnatural.

Prosecutors said they are examining how the documents were prepared and approved. Beyond the formal requirements of the paperwork, how the procedure actually ran is the issue.

Transplantation compresses the declaration of death, confirmation of consent, retrieval and transport, and matching to a recipient into a short window. Because omitting any step undermines confidence in the whole system, records are tightly controlled everywhere.

Taiwan's donor registration scheme has expanded steadily. Some worry the case could affect willingness to register.

The hospital has not issued a detailed public statement. The investigation is continuing and no findings have been established.