Doctor under probe for suspected illegal medical procedures

Liu Xiangfeng, associate chief physician at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province, suspected of conducting illegal procedures in medical treatments, is under supervision and investigation, local authorities reported Thursday night.

Liu, who is also former deputy director of Hunan Trauma Emergency Medical Center, is allegedly involved in serious violations of the law, according to the Hunan commission for discipline inspection and supervisory commission.

Earlier this month, Liu, 48, was reported by netizens on Sina Weibo for conducting excessive medical treatments, demanding high fees from patients through frequent robotic surgery and expensive therapeutic schedule, and persuading patients to buy health care products as medicine.

The event triggered heated discussion about medical ethics and doctor-patient relationship, and the topic about Liu being investigated has received 240 million views by Friday noon.

The Second Xiangya Hospital established a special leading group focusing on improving medical practice and regulating medical behaviors at a conference on Thursday afternoon. It said it would strengthen discipline construction and promote professional ethics, safe and legal education, among its medical workers.

Li Zhihong, director of the hospital, said the hospital has zero tolerance for illegal acts, and it would cooperate with the investigation and rectify the situation. The hospital, built in 1958, is a public tertiary hospital in Central China, and has high reputation among the public.

The General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee released working rules for discipline inspection and supervisory in June that it would crack down on corruption and focus on persons chiefly in charge. About 46 presidents or Party secretaries of hospitals have been investigated this year, previous reports said.