Recently, the healthcare system in Guizhou province has made another significant move. On February 13, Liu Jian, former party secretary of the Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, was officially announced to be under investigation. Earlier this year, his predecessor, Wang Xiaolin, former deputy party secretary and director of the Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College, was prosecuted for accepting bribes amounting to 156 million yuan. This case has garnered widespread attention.
According to a report by the health industry influencer “Healthy Insight Bureau” on February 17, Liu Jian mainly worked at Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital, a well-known large Grade III Level A hospital in Guiyang, formerly known as the Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College, also known as “Little Peking Union Medical College Hospital”. Liu Jian had been working at Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital for about thirty years. His current investigation is likely related to his three decades of experience there.
The report stated that Liu Jian is a renowned neurosurgeon in the local area, a leading figure in provincial key disciplines, who has held positions at top Grade III Level A hospitals and medical colleges in Guizhou province. He has served as vice president of Guizhou Medical University, vice director, deputy party secretary, and director of Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital, director and party secretary of Baiyun Hospital at Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital, and party secretary of Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital.
In the rating system of mainland China’s medical system, Grade III Level A hospitals represent the highest rating among the tertiary hospitals, with abundant resources and advanced technologies, symbolizing high-end medical standards and resources.
Some renowned Grade III Level A hospitals in mainland China include Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, Huadong Hospital in Shanghai, the affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, West China Hospital in Sichuan, among others. These hospitals are top choices for many patients seeking medical treatment.
In July 2020, Liu Jian was appointed as the director of Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital. In November of the following year, he became the party secretary of the hospital, and he retired after just over two years in office.
It is noteworthy that two “top leaders” of Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital have consecutively fallen.
Earlier this year, Wang Xiaolin, former deputy party secretary and director of the Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College, was accused of illegally accepting 156 million yuan in bribes. Wang Xiaolin’s case is currently under trial, and no verdict has been reached yet.
Wang Xiaolin’s case has sparked significant attention. According to reports, from 2001 to 2014, Wang Xiaolin served as the director of the Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College and was suspected of receiving substantial bribes through improper means.
Additionally, Song Yufeng, former party committee secretary and director of Guizhou Health Care Security Bureau, was also accused of illegally accepting more than 26 million yuan in bribes from 2012 to 2023.
These cases expose the serious corruption issues within the mainland China healthcare system.
In July 2015, Liu Jian succeeded the previous director, Wang Xiaolin, who was accused of accepting 156 million yuan in bribes, and was promoted to director of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University.
Until the recent investigation, media reports on Liu Jian had been overwhelmingly positive.
In the past year, the healthcare system in Guizhou has been rocked by various scandals. Several officials in Guizhou have been investigated, such as Song Yufeng, who spanned across the pharmaceutical supervision, medical insurance, and health care systems and was a former deputy party secretary and director of Guiyang Medical College; Wang Xiaolin, whose substantial bribery was disclosed, had also served as the deputy director of Guiyang Medical College. When Liu Jian was the deputy director at Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Wang Xiaolin was his superior. Song Yufeng, Wang Xiaolin, and Liu Jian had all attended the 70th anniversary celebration of the hospital.
Currently, the specific details of Liu Jian’s investigation have not been disclosed, and it is unclear if there is any connection to former director Wang Xiaolin, and even Song Yufeng.
The corruption issue in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry is alarming, especially in medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies, where corruption is more severe. Corrupt practices include taking bribes, unfair drug bidding, doctors receiving kickbacks, false advertising, etc.
In recent years, numerous cases of medical corruption have been exposed.
The “Billion Yuan Medical Kickbacks Case” is considered one of the largest bribery cases in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Several pharmaceutical companies have been found to channel significant improper benefits into the healthcare system through kickbacks, bribing doctors, hospital management personnel, affecting drug sales and pricing, leading to inflated drug costs, and heavier medical burdens on patients.