​Six arrested for selling birth certificates

Six suspects involved in a case of fake birth certificates at a hospital in Xiangyang, Hubei province, including the hospital's president, have been arrested with the approval of the local procuratorate, according to a statement by the city's government on Sunday.

The Xiangyang Jianqiao Hospital, a private one, has allegedly colluded with agencies to sell birth certificates to help register trafficked children, which was exposed by a netizen on the microblogging platform Weibo who went undercover at the hospital for a year, according to media reports.

Four other suspects have been placed under criminal detention by local police. Investigations and disciplinary actions against other involved medical personnel are currently underway.

The local health department has lawfully revoked the practicing certificate as a doctor of the president, surnamed Ye, 55, so as the nurse's practicing certificate of another person, surnamed Liu.

The hospital's authorization to issue medical birth certificates and engage in maternal and child healthcare services has also been revoked in accordance with the law.

Local discipline inspection and supervision authorities have also started investigations into the dereliction of duty and violations of laws and regulations by relevant officials and personnel. To date, 13 of them have been placed under investigation, the statement said.