Outrage after doctor reveals cash for care
Print Edition
A CHINESE doctor recently helped expose the practice of patients sneaking red envelopes filled with money into hospitals for better treatment.
Dr Li Rui, however, was not discouraging the practice when revealing this dubious income stream to a class of medical students.
Quite the opposite. The Beijing doctor, working at the Aviation and Space Center Hospital affiliated to Peking University and a teacher at the New Oriental School, told students “you should definitely take ‘gray income’ sent in by patients when it’s necessary.”
“If you help 100 patients remove their kidney stones in one night, you can expect to buy a Porsche overnight,” Li said during a lecture that was caught on tape and posted on microblog Sina Weibo.
In a country with increasing violence stemming from strained doctor-patient relations, Li’s remarks only fanned anger, with the public lashing out at the doctor with a torrent of scathing comments.
“Such doctors should be sacked,” wrote one Weibo user.
“Face it, this is reality in China’s medical industry,” read another comment.
One person advised people to avoid “expensive nightmares” as much as possible.
Li has since issued a public apology for what he said.
New Oriental has ended his contract. Videos of his previous lectures have been removed from its website, the school said on its official Weibo account. The hospital he worked with has launched an internal investigation into the case.
In China, some patients, including expectant mothers, are believed to surreptitiously deliver extra money sealed in red envelopes, or hongbao, to doctors to make sure their operations go smoothly. Li’s comments have been seen as a proof of this practice.
The hospital firmly dismissed the lecturer’s comments, saying on their official website that what Li had said was far from the truth and defamatory to its medical staff.
But those in the sector argue differently.
A doctor surnamed Wang with the oncology department of a hospital in central China’s Henan Province told reporters that taking additional money is “industry routine.”
“Sometimes we get the ‘red envelopes’ from patients as well, because they want the best doctor or to book the earliest operation date,” Wang said.
But doctors are increasingly careful in accepting money these days, out of concerns over media exposure. Now, they only take the money from acquaintances.
Liu Yong, a resident of Henan’s Xuchang City, said he prepared a hongbao for surgeons so his father’s operation in a Zhengzhou hospital would proceed as soon as possible. His offer was refused because he didn’t know any hospital staff.
As outrage and concern run high, many are demanding the practice be dealt with.
Shi Pu, a professor at Henan University of Economics and Law, said the only way to avoid such phenomenon is to better supervision.
“Stricter punishment should be meted out to doctors who take hongbao and authorities should stick with that rule,” Shi said.
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