Jiangxi orders refund for excessive ambulance fee

On Wednesday night, health authorities in Jiangxi province declared in a statement that an ambulance service fee of 28,000 yuan ($3,896) charged by a privately-run hospital was unreasonable and ordered a refund of the excessive amount.

On April 8, a child in critical condition required an urgent transfer from the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit of Jiangxi Children's Hospital to Shanghai.

Since the interprovincial transfer of an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) patient via public hospital ambulance was unavailable, the attending physician arranged an ambulance from a private hospital.

After an 800-kilometer, 20-hour journey, the patient arrived safely in Shanghai.

However, the family questioned a 28,000 yuan fee collected directly by the driver. The parent, Tang, reported to Tide News that the payment was made to the driver's personal account without an invoice.

On June 16, the news report sparked significant public attention. In response, the Jiangxi Provincial Health Commission immediately formed an investigative team and issued a statement that night.

The statement confirmed: "The investigation identified unreasonable charges by Nanchang Ganyi Hospital's ambulance service. The hospital has been instructed to refund the fees and temporarily suspend medical transfer services."

Authorities added that further investigations and enhanced oversight would follow to ensure proper ambulance use and protect patients' rights.