Clinic closed for cheating patients

A private clinic in Pudong New Area had its license revoked for scamming patients with inferior medical care and employing touts to lure people away from other hospitals with false promises, the Shanghai Municipal Health Inspection Institute announced at a press conference Monday.

The clinic, Shanghai Shengcao, which specialized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), was one of two clinics that city health inspectors shut down during a recent crackdown on illegal medical practices.

Pudong health inspectors have received 25 patient complaints about the clinic since 2012, according to a news report on Shanghai Television Station. They revoked the clinic's operating license in July.

Most of the victims were waiting to see doctors at Renji Hospital, one of Shanghai's top hospitals, when they were approached by the touts, who persuaded them to go to Shanghai Shengcao.

A father who took his young daughter to the clinic said most of the patients there were from other parts of China and lacked health insurance, according to the report. The touts, who usually posed as other patients, told their targets that Shanghai Shengcao had specialists who could treat their specific conditions.

In reality, the father said the clinic had only two doctors, neither of whom was able to treat his daughter's condition. To make matters worse, the girl missed the best period to receive proper treatment.

Health inspectors also accused the clinic of gauging its patients.

One victim complained online that most patients who went to the clinic ended up with medical bills ranging from 1,000 yuan ($163) to 10,000 yuan.

City health inspectors worked with police to arrest the touts hired by the clinic. The clinic had been open since the end of 2009.

Authorities also suspended the operating license of the Shanghai Jindian clinic for six months for employing touts.