Thousands of Romanians were used as unwitting guinea pigs by psychiatrists to test drugs, an investigation by Romanian prosecutors has revealed.

Digi24, a Romanian news service, put the number of victims at around 3,000 while prosecutors reported they had detained 50 psychiatrists allegedly involved in the clandestine trials that apparently left some people in hospital.

Investigators and police have now searched 31 hospitals and clinics suspected of involvement in the unauthorised trial, and the number is expected to rise.

The scandal is the latest in a series of hammer blows to the beleaguered Romanian health service that has shredded its reputation and credibility.

Earlier this week Romania was left short of cancer specialists after anti-corruption agents detained 77 of them, a quarter of the country’s total, on suspicion of accepting bribes and a free holiday in India in return for prescribing certain drugs.