‘She needs surgery, can you buy the hospital a scalpel?’
Print Edition
Three doctors were suspended from their posts after they asked a patient to buy a scalpel because the hospital didn’t have any.
A Liuzhou resident, surnamed Guan, said he took his mother-in-law to the Workers Hospital in the city in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on November 18. She was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and surgery was recommended, the Nanguo Morning News reported.
The surgeon, Kong Jing, told Guan that the scalpel would cost 800 yuan (US$131.28), according to the report.
Kong told Guan that he could recommend a supplier.
On November 21, a salesperson visited Guan’s mother-in-law but raised the price to 1,000 yuan. In order to ensure that the surgery went ahead as soon as possible, the elderly woman agreed, the newspaper report said.
After the operation, the expense wasn’t included on the medical bills, Guan said, adding that the hospital also didn’t return the scalpel.
A sales voucher showed the seller to be the Liuzhou Sanxiong Science and Technology Company.
After reports in the media, the local health authority ordered the hospital to suspend doctor Kong, department chief Yang Xiaohui and vice department chief Tang Zheming while investigating.
Yang earlier refused to say whether the company was doing business with the hospital or just with the doctor Kong.
However, Yang conceded that the scalpel did not go through the hospital’s bidding procedure, which was a violation of the rules. But Yang said the scalpel had been approved as safe.
Yang also said 1,000 yuan was in the bottom price range for that type of scalpel, which is imported from Germany.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
