CHINA/SOCIETY
China’s National Health Commission releases update on probe into doctor Xiao’s misconduct scandal
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China's National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday announced in a statement of disciplinary measures following a public misconduct scandal involving a doctor surnamed Xiao. Authorities revoked Xiao's medical license and banned him from practicing for over five years after confirming serious professional and ethical violations. Another individual involved, Dong, was found to have falsified academic records and committed plagiarism; her diploma, degree, and medical qualifications were also annulled.
Previously, Xiao's wife filed a real-name report alleging that Xiao engaged in affairs with multiple women during their marriage and had left the operating room for extended periods, neglecting anesthetized patient due to emotional reasons, according to media reports. The incident subsequently sparked discussion on social media.
The NHC promptly established an investigation team and dispatched a working group to the hospitals involved. Working in coordination with relevant departments, the team conducted a thorough review of Xiao's professional conduct, ethics, and medical practices. They also scrutinized Dong's admission qualifications, academic performance, research integrity, and compliance with standardized residency training protocols.
According to the investigation, Xiao, born in October 1986 and formerly an associate chief physician in thoracic surgery at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, violated key safety regulations during a thoracoscopic lobectomy in July 2024. As the lead surgeon, he halted the operation after a dispute with a circulating nurse, left the operating room while the patient was under anesthesia, and removed the surgical assistant from the procedure.
The investigation concluded that Xiao placed personal emotions above patient safety and failed to recognize the responsibilities inherent in his role as a physician. Furthermore, during his marriage, Xiao engaged in inappropriate relationships, including with Dong, in serious violation of medical ethics and professional conduct, causing severe reputational damage to the medical community, said the statement.
In response, the China-Japan Friendship Hospital terminated Xiao's employment, and he is to be expelled from the Communist Party. The Beijing Municipal Health Commission revoked his medical license in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and barred him from engaging in any medical or healthcare-related work for more than five years. The hospital itself was ordered to make rectifications within a specified time frame, received a warning, and was fined.
The investigation also found that Dong, born in June 1996, was assigned to the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in August 2023 and began standardized residency training at China-Japan Friendship Hospital the following month. She returned to the Cancer Hospital in September 2024 and has not yet completed her training. However, her 2019 admission to Peking Union Medical College's "4+4" Medical Doctor (MD) pilot program in clinical medicine was based on falsified academic records. The program required candidates to have graduated from a top-50 global university and to have completed at least 66 medical prerequisite credits. Dong submitted falsified transcripts for four prerequisite courses totaling 16 credits, rendering her ineligible for admission.
Additionally, Dong's 2023 doctoral dissertation—excluding the review section—was found to have over 20 percent overlap with another student's thesis from the University of Science and Technology Beijing, constituting serious academic misconduct.
Dong also had issues with research integrity, including three instances of improper authorship and one instance of duplicate publication. As a result, Peking Union Medical College has revoked Dong's diploma and academic degree in accordance with academic regulations. The Beijing Municipal Health Commission has also revoked her medical qualification and practice license, said statement.
The investigation uncovered systemic issues in the management of PUMC's "4+4" MD pilot program, which was designed to admit top-tier non-medical undergraduates into an accelerated pathway for doctoral degrees in clinical medicine. Approved by the Ministry of Education in 2019 with an annual intake of around 30 students, the program was found to have gaps in admission procedures, clinical internship oversight, thesis evaluation, and student political and ideological education. The school is currently undergoing a comprehensive internal review, and the NHC is working with the Ministry of Education to assess and reform the program.
The NHC noted that the investigation is ongoing and that further scrutiny of all individuals and departments involved is underway. It vowed to hold violators accountable and will disclose additional findings to the public.
Moving forward, the NHC plans to launch a nationwide campaign to improve medical quality and ethics, aiming to enhance professionalism, strengthen humanistic values, and provide safer, more efficient, and patient-centered healthcare services, the statement said.
Zhou Zhaocheng, a lawyer from Beijing-based An Jian Law Offices, told the Global Times on Thursday that the authorities' response to public concerns over the recent medical scandal was swift and direct.
The punishment of Xiao for leaving the operating room without authorization and violating safety protocols reinforces the principle that "regulating an industry requires ensuring safety," Zhou said, adding that addressing both his professional misconduct and personal moral failings helps rebuild public trust in the medical profession.
In addition, the revocation of Dong's medical degree and license over academic fraud, including falsified admissions and plagiarism, protects the integrity of both academia and the healthcare sector.
Reinvestigating the "4+4" MD pilot program, Zhou noted, not only helps plug loopholes in admissions and promote fairness, but also improves academic oversight and training quality, ultimately strengthening the foundation for the long-term development of medical talent in China.
