Nation steps up fight against healthcare corruption

The nation's ongoing battle against corruption in the healthcare sector has further intensified this year, with a number of hospital heads and medical officials being placed under investigation.

Since the start of this year until July 26, at least 155 presidents and high-level officials of hospitals nationwide have been placed under investigation, according to data released by a health app operated by People's Daily.

The number of this level of healthcare officials being investigated for corruption is now more than double the total for the whole of last year.

One of the latest examples of this wide-ranging anti-corruption drive was when He Shaobin, former president of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was put under investigation on suspicion of severely violating Party discipline and national laws.

This was announced in a statement on July 29 by the nation's top anti-graft authorities — the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

A day before the announcement, the nation's top anti-graft bodies had called on investigators across the country to make greater efforts in the anti-corruption battle in the health industry, and urged them to focus more on those accepting and offering bribes.

As the investigation has been rolled out, the misconduct of a number of medical officials has been made public as their cases have been heard in court.

On Monday, Wang Zhongping, former head of the healthcare security bureau in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, pleaded guilty to taking bribes when he stood trial at a local court.

Prosecutors from Hezhou, a city in the region, alleged that from 2012 to 2022, Wang took advantage of various positions in the healthcare sector to help seek profits for enterprises and individuals in business operations, the contracting of projects and business promotion. In return, he accepted bribes totaling more than 17 million yuan ($2.36 million).

The ruling will be announced at a later date, according to the court.

Zhao Li, a criminal lawyer from Beijing Jingsh Law Firm, said that the battle against corruption in the healthcare sector is essential, "because seeing doctors and buying drugs is related to everyone's daily life, and it's an important part of people's livelihood.

"Some patients and their family members once complained to me that some doctors and hospitals had accepted commissions related to the purchase of medicines and medical equipment," he added, saying that such acts are a "stubborn illness" in the sector.

In a case disclosed by the CCDI in May, Yang Wenjun, former president of Puer People's Hospital in Yunnan province, accepted a commission of 16 million yuan from a supplier when the hospital bought medical equipment worth 35.2 million yuan.

Zhao suggested that the anti-graft authorities focus more on such business-related bribery, and strive "to find those in hospitals and healthcare administrations who collude with suppliers".

Zhao also called on the public to report corruption-related clues to investigators in a timely manner, "as fighting graft in this field is not only in order to punish corrupt medical staff, but also to reduce our own costs in drug purchases and medical treatment", he said.

Due to the central leadership's determination to tackle corruption and the revision of related laws, he said the anti-graft battle in the sector will not only continue but the punishments given to violators will be harsher.

On July 25, a draft amendment to the Criminal Law was submitted for review to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. It states that those offering bribes in the food, drug, education and healthcare sectors should be harshly punished.

On July 21, the National Health Commission and several other authorities launched a one-year anti-corruption campaign in the medical industry, requiring a greater fight against those seeking profits through healthcare seminars and donations.