Doctor punished for refusing to fake check-up reports
So it seems that doctors are well aware of the danger of "over treating" patients. But why exactly is this phenomenon so rampant across the country? CCTV has investigated this matter for months, to find out what's going on.
In a major public hospital in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, this doctor is said to have sat here for almost 2 years.
" Is that doctor working here?"
"Yes."
"Why does she just sit there?"
"I don’t know."
But later we got to know that her name was Lan Yuefeng, the former director of the ultrasonic department, a veteran of this hospital.
She told CCTV that patients there with minor illnesses would often be told that they have serious diseases. The proof: fake reports.
"At first I cooperated with them, I knew that they asked the patients to be hospitalized, and I would make up their illness in the report. Then after a few days, patients will be told that they are healed, and then I will give them reports saying they are well. It had been always like this." Dr. Lan Yuefeng with Mianyang People’s Hospital said.
It was not until 2009, that Lan totally broke with the hospital.
That year, a 53 year old patient who felt something wrong with his lower limbs was told he needed surgery, and that he had to be implanted with a pacemaker.
"His heartbeat is above 60 per minute, and is in order. Home come he had to use a pacemaker? Then I checked him again... same result." Dr. Lan said.
This time, Doctor Lan handed over the true report.
The patient left the hospital safe and sound, but Lan was deposed as department director, and was literally exiled to the corridor.
Lan says fraud is rampant because of the need for quick money.
"An ovarian cyst case would cost 5,000 yuan, for us, we could get a 30% cut, that’s about 1,000 yuan."
"Whenever there’s a meeting, the first thing they talk about is a sales target. He who brings in the biggest amount of money is regarded as a hero."
When Lan’s case was initially exposed on the internet, the hospital responded in a letter, denying all allegations, and accused Lan of defaming the hospital.
But CCTV’s own source who had knowledge about this matter disagrees.
"It’s a long story, she didn’t comply, so the hospital thinks that it should teach her a lesson."
"We focus too much on economic gains, thus creating the belief that the hospital that makes the most money is the best hospital. It’s wrong." Wang Hufeng, director of Medical Reform Research Center at Renmin Univ., said.
We contacted the president of the hospital, but he refused to comment and directed us to the local government’s publicity department. But so far, our calls to them have gone unanswered.
