Health Authority in Jiangxi Dismisses Overcharging Allegations Against Local Hospital

Authorities in Jiangxi province have addressed allegations concerning Fengcheng People's Hospital, rejecting accusations of overcharging a patient after a complaint gained traction online. The issue emerged from a post on Ask Jiangxi, a government platform for citizen inquiries, which accused a doctor at the hospital of demanding an extra payment of 5,000 yuan for an "expert fee" and another 5,000 yuan for surgery, in addition to standard surgical costs.

In a public statement dated July 30, the Fengcheng Health Commission clarified the situation, asserting that the fee in question was requested by the patient who desired the presence of an external expert. They emphasized that the patient had signed a consent form agreeing to these costs at the time of admission. Moreover, it was stated that the family directly paid the expert for the surgery conducted on July 24, without any involvement from hospital staff.

Following the surgery, the patient's family reportedly offered to take the expert out for a meal, which was initially covered by a hospital doctor, costing around 150 yuan. The health commission reaffirmed that there was no pressure or coercion related to this meal and confirmed that the expenses for it were later refunded. They also noted that the practice of inviting external experts is recognized as a beneficial service within community hospitals, designed to alleviate the challenges patients face in accessing medical care elsewhere.