Hospital authorities call for self-checkups

Health authorities in Shanghai said Sunday that they have required all medical institutions alleged to have received bribes from French drugmaker Sanofi to conduct self-checkups.

The pharmaceutical company was exposed by the Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald on Thursday to have paid bribes totaling about 1.69 million yuan ($276,058) to 503 doctors at 79 hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou in late 2007 as "research expenses."

A total of 158 doctors from 24 hospitals in Shanghai were said to have been offered 625,000 yuan in bribes. Local hospitals are also urged to tighten up their supervision over the procedure for procurement of drugs.

Some medical institutions named in the report, including the Zhongshan Hospital and the Ruijin Hospital, said they are probing into research projects and clinical trials involving Sanofi, in cooperation with authorities.

The two drugs in the allegations are used to treat high blood pressure.

The Beijing municipal health bureau said earlier on Friday that it has set up a joint investigation team. A bureau official said the team will coordinate with the disciplinary watchdog to investigate the case.

The investigation team will probe whether clinical research programs had a list of patient names and medical reports, the Beijing official said.

Experts said that defining the boundary between a "clinical research expense" and bribery is key to the case.

The Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News also reported Friday that local hospitals exposed in the article are also doing thorough checkups.

Global Times - Agencies