Chinese doctor sentenced to 17 years prison for unnecessary surgeries

A surgeon from a top hospital in central China's Hunan Province was sentenced to 17 years in prison with a fine of 420,000 yuan (US$59,011) for overstating patients' conditions, fabricating symptoms, and performing unnecessary surgeries for profit, the Changsha Intermediate People's Court ruled on Thursday.

Liu Xiangfeng, the former associate chief physician at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, along with his accomplice Luo Yuandeng, exaggerated patients' conditions and invented symptoms to justify unnecessary surgery on six patients, causing severe injuries to five and minor injuries to one, all motivated by their desire to obtain additional surgical fees, according to the court's findings.

Additionally, Liu was found guilty of assisting in introducing medical products, accepting bribes totaling 660,000 yuan, kickbacks of 3.58 million yuan from surgery-related sales, and illegally accessing 1.93 million yuan of surgical supplies.

Luo was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment with a fine of 100,000 yuan for his role in the intentional injury crimes.

Liu, aged 50, was previously reported by netizens on Sina Weibo in 2022 for conducting excessive medical treatments, demanding high fees from patients through frequent robotic surgery and expensive therapeutic schedules, and persuading patients to buy healthcare products as medicine. This incident sparked widespread discussion about medical ethics and doctor-patient relationships.

In August 2022, Liu was suspended from his duties and taken away by local authorities for investigation following the public outcry.