Shanghai rolls out anti-corruption campaign aimed at medical supplies sector

Shanghai has launched a campaign to crack down on improper procurement and sales of medical supplies and provision of medical services, according to a document released by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission and 12 other city-level government authorities on Monday.

The campaign will mainly focus on preventing medical workers from taking commissions for any procurement of high-value medical consumables and ensuring that workers adhere to professional ethics.

Regarding the procurements, the document stipulated that the authorities will look into key hospital departments such as orthopedics, blood purification, cardiovascular medicine, examination, testing, and rehabilitation, and crack down on illegal activities, including exchanging high-value consumables, fabricating prices for such consumables, and charging for different parts of the consumables.

Medical workers are forbidden to accept money, gifts, vouchers, tourism products and other forms of properties provided by patients and their families throughout medical treatment, according to the document.

They are also not allowed to receive any forms of rewards or gifts provided by enterprises or individuals involved in the manufacture or commercialization of medical devices, drugs, and reagents.

The introduction of the campaign in Shanghai comes following a national conference to combat corruption in medical and pharmaceutical fields that was held by the national discipline inspection authority on July 28.

Some medical insiders believe that this unprecedented anti-corruption campaign will reduce unfair competition in the industry and promote the rational use of truly innovative and clinically valuable drugs and devices.