FEATURE: China cracks down on fake doctors, medicines

0 Comments | Asian Political News, May 21, 2001

BEIJING, May 18 Kyodo

China's medical profession and pharmaceutical industry have failed to get a clean bill of health from the government.

In fact, health authorities say a strong dose of administrative medicine is needed to clean up a mess typified by illegal medical practices and counterfeit goods.

A nationwide health-inspection campaign against counterfeiting started in early March but ''more needs to be done, because the practice of making, selling and using fake goods is still rampant,'' Health Minister Zhang Wenkang said.

He made the remarks during a conference on the campaign.

Since March, officials seized nearly 2,500 tons of fake or inferior food, cosmetics and disposable medical devices worth more than 40 million yuan ($4.8 million). And about 1,400 illegal producers and nearly 40,000 illegal medical clinics have been closed.

As China becomes more affluent more attention is being paid to health and general well-being.

In Chairman Mao Zedong's day, even a hint of lipstick or rouge would bring condemnation for loose morals; now, cosmetics is one of the fastest growing industries, with television flooded with programs and advertisements on the art of good grooming.

In addition, there is a boom in medicines claiming amazing powers in weight reduction, healthier living and life extension.

Despite a decision to commercialize health care by, for example, opening up military and other previously restricted hospitals to the general public, demand still far outstrips supply and those wishing to see a doctor know they face many, many hours of waiting.

Private clinics are multiplying rapidly, but many of them without properly qualified staff or the right license to operate. To many members of the public, however, the desperation to see a doctor overrides any concern about quality of treatment.

Cut-price medicines available on the market also prove attractive to those on a budget, even though the chances are high the products are either fake or have been discarded by the legitimate medical sector as beyond their use-by date.

The government has sought to counter this with a scare campaign through the print and broadcast media. Stories regularly appear of, for example, young women who have been scarred for life after using fake cosmetics containing unsuitable ingredients.

Zhang urged all health authorities to work with other supervision departments to rid China of fake food, medicine, medical devices, illegal medical practices and illegal collection of blood.

Illegal clinics and medical practitioners without official licenses were strictly forbidden to continue their business, and those involved would face heavy jail sentences, the minister warned.

At the same time, disposable medical devices, including syringes and blood devices, will be carefully inspected, he promised.

The latest official survey indicated only 85% of disposable medical devices produced by licensed manufacturers meet standards.

Zhang also pledged the ministry would continue its efforts to fight against overstated advertisements for health foods, which have angered the public in recent years.

According to an official survey, about 40% of surveyed health foods in Beijing have exaggerated their efficacy in advertisements.

In another crackdown, the Health Ministry issued a notice banning medical diagnosis and treatment via the Internet.

Web sites licensed to carry medical information can only offer consultations to would-be patients, according to the notice, ''Management Methods for Internet Medical Information Service.''

The notice also said only licensed medical institutions could offer consultation via the Net.

The ministry also requires medical information Web sites to get approval from health departments when applying for business licenses.

Most Web sites, in fact, have not developed to the point where they can offer diagnoses or treatment, but the government is worried that the explosive growth of Internet use will encourage unscrupulous businesses to try to profit from the interest in all things medical.

One service that stays within the law is 999.com.cn, a two-year-old Web site sponsored by the Guangzhou-based 999 Pharmaceutical Group. A spokeswoman said it did not provide online medical diagnoses but offered medical information and consultation, only with the help of hospitals. Ultimately, the aim was to ensure would-be patients were steered toward the right doctor, she said.

The government also sees the need to more closely monitor the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), now enjoying a strong revival as many Chinese become more aware of the possible side effects of Western-style medicine.

TCM draws on thousands of years of experience in the medicinal qualities of a huge range of natural herbs, vegetables and grains, as well as certain animal products.

But abuse has occurred because many of the effects of TCM are still not well understood and there is still an element of ''magic'' involved in many cures still popular in rural areas. The government, however, is keen to place TCM on a more scientific and licensed basis, partly to make TCM more acceptable overseas and boost exports.