China Medical Scandal: Surgeon Abandons Patient, 19 Top Officials Disciplined

A huge scandal in China has shaken up the medical world! A top surgeon walked out on a patient during surgery to defend his mistress, causing a big uproar. This led to 19 high-ranking officials getting punished. The incident happened at Beijing’s China-Japan Friendship Hospital, and it’s got people talking about problems in hospitals and medical ethics. Keep reading to learn what happened and why it matters?

Dr. Xiao Fei, a 39-year-old chest surgeon at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, left a patient asleep under anesthesia for 40 minutes during a surgery in July 2024. Why? To argue with a nurse who criticized his mistress, a junior doctor named Dong Xiying. The story broke in April 2025 when Xiao’s wife, Dr. Gu, shared a nine-page letter online, spilling the tea about Xiao’s affairs with Dong and a nurse named Ms. Shi. On August 15, 2025, the National Health Commission (NHC) announced that 19 officials from five top places, like Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) and the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), faced punishments like warnings, demotions, or even getting fired.

This scandal made people angry because it showed big problems in China’s hospitals, like poor management and unfair practices. Investigators found that Dong Xiying had a fake transcript from USTB, which raised questions about how she got into PUMC’s “4+4” program. This program lets non-medical graduates become doctors in just four years, instead of the usual 10. Social media blew up with cartoons and posts, including one showing a patient and hospital staff joking about getting their jobs through connections, not skills.

The China-Japan Friendship Hospital fired Xiao Fei, kicked him out of the Communist Party, and took away his and Dong’s medical licenses in May 2025. The NHC also told PUMC to fix its “4+4” program by being stricter about who gets in and how they’re trained. People’s Daily called the NHC’s actions “serious and strong,” saying they helped rebuild some trust in hospitals. But some people, like retired doctor Shao Xiu from Guangzhou, think the punishments aren’t enough to stop these problems or make people trust hospitals again.

This scandal shows bigger issues in China’s hospitals and schools, like cheating and favoritism. People are now asking if these problems are even worse in smaller hospitals across the country. The news has made folks demand better rules to make sure hospitals and medical schools are fair and trustworthy.

The China medical scandal with Dr. Xiao Fei has shown the world some serious problems in how hospitals and medical schools work. While the NHC is taking steps to fix things, many people still don’t trust the system.

(Rh/Eth/VK/TL)