A case of alleged bribery involving a doctor at a hospital in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, has been discovered to be a fake following an internal investigation.
The doctor, going by the online name Tao Tao GT, posted a photo on Weibo of him holding a handful of cash, boasting that it came from a drug rebate of 5,500 yuan (850 U.S. dollars).
The image was widely re-posted, sparking concerns about corruption within hospitals as drug rebates are banned by law in China to prevent doctors issuing prescriptions which patients don't need but which benefit drugs' companies.
According to policies co-issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2013, medical professionals are banned from receiving a rebate or linking their personal income to any kind of medical treatment or medicine.
Those found breaking these laws are regarded as having taken a bribe and face losing their licenses.
The People's Daily Online said that the bribe post had been a fake and that the doctor concerned had personal problems.
Launching an inquiry, the No.2 Hospital of Nanchang identified the doctor as 30-year-old Gong who began his career in May 2013 after being assigned to the proctology department before being moved to the emergency department in May 2014.
The post was allegedly motivated by his frustration caused by a failed romance and was a means of venting his anger and winning attention.
"Just got 5,500 yuan drug rebate. Good to go shopping! Super happy to be a doctor", he posted.
It transpired that the photo itself was also a fake, having been downloaded from the Baidu search engine.
Following online outrage, Gong Tao deleted the original Weibo post.
Due to the negative publicity the incident caused, the No.2 Hospital of Nanchang said that Gong Tao would have a demerit placed on his record and will be subject to one year's probation.
The hospital also stressed that it has a zero tolerance policy towards bribery and will pay close attention to people who cross the line.
