On September 13, China's National Healthcare Security Administration released a report detailing commercial bribery cases in medical institutions' pharmaceutical procurement. The report revealed that between the latter half of 2025 alone, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University was implicated in nine criminal judgments.
Hospital staff had accepted bribes on 46 separate occasions, with the largest single transaction reaching 16.58 million yuan. These illicit activities spanned up to 11 years, accumulating a total of 184 million yuan in bribes. A hospital spokesperson confirmed to reporters on September 14 that the institution is aware of the notification and is currently cooperating with the relevant regulatory authorities in their ongoing investigation.
According to the hospital's official website, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University is a top-tier Class A comprehensive hospital, established in 1918. It operates its main campus along with two branch campuses in Luguan and Zhengding. The facility houses 116 clinical and medical technology departments, employs 6,257 staff members, and maintains 4,500 registered beds. In 2025, the hospital recorded 3.2883 million outpatient and emergency visits, 217,300 discharged patients, and completed 115,400 surgical procedures.
The latest disclosure from the National Healthcare Security Administration identifies more than 30 pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in long-term bribery of hospital personnel. Among them, 11 enterprises are charged with unit bribery, including Hebei Xiang'en Medical Equipment Trading Co., Ltd., Beijing Jinkaihui Medical Devices Co., Ltd., Hebei Mingshi Medical Equipment Trading Co., Ltd., and Shijiazhuang Shangdaoxuan Medical Supplies Trading Co., Ltd.
In the case of Hebei Xiang'en Medical Equipment Trading Co., Ltd. specifically, the company bribed hospital staff a total of 20.64 million yuan to secure sales of medical consumables at inflated prices. The implicated medical products primarily consisted of over 30 types of consumables, including artificial lenses, drug-eluting stent systems, rapid exchange balloon dilation catheters, cardiac pacemakers, and bioabsorbable medical membranes, with bribery amounts totaling approximately 174 million yuan. Additionally, 10 pharmaceutical drugs were involved, including naproxen sodium for injection, oxiracetam injection, lansoprazole for injection, and nalmefene hydrochloride injection, with accumulated bribery amounts reaching about 10 million yuan.