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China Times Electronic News
By Hsiao Po-wen / Taichung Report
November 26, 2012
"Medical education teaches us to save lives, but it doesn’t teach us how to resist temptation!" Former Director of the Taichung Hospital under the Department of Health, Shao Guo-ning, was prosecuted for accepting bribes totaling NT$3.87 million from suppliers. Reflecting on his past greed, Shao said the symbiotic relationship between doctors and suppliers creates a breeding ground for corruption. The mistaken notion of accepting favors from suppliers has become deeply ingrained in the medical field. The fundamental solution lies in returning to medical education, teaching doctors not only how to save lives but also how to resist temptation.
Once Ashamed ▲ In March of last year, the Taichung District Prosecutors Office directed an investigation into suspected bribery and bid-rigging involving three Department of Health hospitals, conducting large-scale searches and seizing account books. (Photo from this newspaper’s archives)
Last year, investigators launched the largest-ever operation targeting procurement fraud in Department of Health hospitals. Among the most high-profile cases was that of Shao Guo-ning, a leading figure in neurosurgery in Taiwan and the younger brother of Taichung Mayor Jason Hu’s wife, Shao Hsiao-ling.
Shao Guo-ning admitted that doctors accepting benefits and kickbacks from pharmaceutical and equipment suppliers is a "tradition in the medical field." Although he initially questioned whether it was right the first time he accepted such benefits, seeing his mentors and even their mentors do the same made him unconsciously succumb to this environment of temptation from the moment he entered the hospital. Once he took that first step, the seed of greed grew endlessly.
After 30 years in medicine, he analyzed that the symbiotic relationship between doctors and suppliers has long existed. Suppliers go to great lengths to win contracts or persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs, providing services ranging from grocery shopping and bill payments to arranging vacations—anything imaginable. "This is very, very normal in the medical field!"
Shao believes suppliers have thoroughly infiltrated the medical field, establishing relationships with doctors as early as their internship years. The annual hospital banquets highlight the close ties between suppliers and doctors, with suppliers generously funding events and providing prizes. But this marks the beginning of greed. Over time, accepting money from suppliers becomes normalized.
He said doctors should view suppliers as sources of "information" to stay updated on new drugs and equipment. Instead, many now see them as "resource" providers, believing that helping suppliers with business is mutually beneficial. Accepting favors and kickbacks becomes routine, and over time, emotional bonds form. Doctors grow complacent, never imagining they could be investigated, each thinking, "It won’t happen to me." The vortex of greed pulls them deeper.
Doctors hold high social and economic status, but their uncontrolled and often arrogant nature leads them to overlook legal responsibilities. Shao observed that doctors face unimaginable life-and-death pressures. Their confidence from success makes them feel invincible, yet they remain unaware of the temptations from suppliers and the weight of legal accountability. Medical education lacks training on social behavior, neglecting to teach doctors how to handle temptation. Thus, even highly skilled doctors like him can stumble badly in life.
Having fallen from the peak to the depths, Shao said he has learned that human nature constantly wavers between greed and restraint. The seed of greed is always present; if not properly managed, small temptations grow into major corruption. Now, Shao openly admits his guilt but often wonders whether, given a second chance, he would still fall into the same trap. He emphasized that interactions between doctors and suppliers remain a blank spot in medical education—one that urgently needs addressing.http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E9……A% 98% E6% 83% 91- 213004841. html;_ylt=Asx2e54p7lvrzsS03yz8FGGVBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTRodm5wZzg3BG1pdANNb3N0cG9wdWxhciBFZGl0aW5nIEZQIE1EBHBrZwNhZDU0OGFmYS1mMjZmLTM1MDctOGY3MC0zMmM5NmNiMzViMDQEcG9zAzQEc2VjA01lZGlhQkxpc3RNaXhlZExQQ0FUZW1wBHZlcgNkNzZmYzFkOC0zN2I1LTExZTItYmVjYi03ZWJjNWUzOTM1MzA-;_ylg=X3oDMTFucXJnOGdpBGludGwDdHcEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LXR3BHBzdGFpZAMEcHN0Y2F0A2hvbWUEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3Source:
Shao Guoning: Medical Education Doesn't Teach How to Resist Temptation
By Hsiao Po-wen / Taichung Report
November 26, 2012
"Medical education teaches us to save lives, but it doesn’t teach us how to resist temptation!" Former Director of the Taichung Hospital under the Department of Health, Shao Guo-ning, was prosecuted for accepting bribes totaling NT$3.87 million from suppliers. Reflecting on his past greed, Shao said the symbiotic relationship between doctors and suppliers creates a breeding ground for corruption. The mistaken notion of accepting favors from suppliers has become deeply ingrained in the medical field. The fundamental solution lies in returning to medical education, teaching doctors not only how to save lives but also how to resist temptation.
Once Ashamed ▲ In March of last year, the Taichung District Prosecutors Office directed an investigation into suspected bribery and bid-rigging involving three Department of Health hospitals, conducting large-scale searches and seizing account books. (Photo from this newspaper’s archives)
Last year, investigators launched the largest-ever operation targeting procurement fraud in Department of Health hospitals. Among the most high-profile cases was that of Shao Guo-ning, a leading figure in neurosurgery in Taiwan and the younger brother of Taichung Mayor Jason Hu’s wife, Shao Hsiao-ling.
Shao Guo-ning admitted that doctors accepting benefits and kickbacks from pharmaceutical and equipment suppliers is a "tradition in the medical field." Although he initially questioned whether it was right the first time he accepted such benefits, seeing his mentors and even their mentors do the same made him unconsciously succumb to this environment of temptation from the moment he entered the hospital. Once he took that first step, the seed of greed grew endlessly.
After 30 years in medicine, he analyzed that the symbiotic relationship between doctors and suppliers has long existed. Suppliers go to great lengths to win contracts or persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs, providing services ranging from grocery shopping and bill payments to arranging vacations—anything imaginable. "This is very, very normal in the medical field!"
Shao believes suppliers have thoroughly infiltrated the medical field, establishing relationships with doctors as early as their internship years. The annual hospital banquets highlight the close ties between suppliers and doctors, with suppliers generously funding events and providing prizes. But this marks the beginning of greed. Over time, accepting money from suppliers becomes normalized.
He said doctors should view suppliers as sources of "information" to stay updated on new drugs and equipment. Instead, many now see them as "resource" providers, believing that helping suppliers with business is mutually beneficial. Accepting favors and kickbacks becomes routine, and over time, emotional bonds form. Doctors grow complacent, never imagining they could be investigated, each thinking, "It won’t happen to me." The vortex of greed pulls them deeper.
Doctors hold high social and economic status, but their uncontrolled and often arrogant nature leads them to overlook legal responsibilities. Shao observed that doctors face unimaginable life-and-death pressures. Their confidence from success makes them feel invincible, yet they remain unaware of the temptations from suppliers and the weight of legal accountability. Medical education lacks training on social behavior, neglecting to teach doctors how to handle temptation. Thus, even highly skilled doctors like him can stumble badly in life.
Having fallen from the peak to the depths, Shao said he has learned that human nature constantly wavers between greed and restraint. The seed of greed is always present; if not properly managed, small temptations grow into major corruption. Now, Shao openly admits his guilt but often wonders whether, given a second chance, he would still fall into the same trap. He emphasized that interactions between doctors and suppliers remain a blank spot in medical education—one that urgently needs addressing.http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E9……A% 98% E6% 83% 91- 213004841. html;_ylt=Asx2e54p7lvrzsS03yz8FGGVBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTRodm5wZzg3BG1pdANNb3N0cG9wdWxhciBFZGl0aW5nIEZQIE1EBHBrZwNhZDU0OGFmYS1mMjZmLTM1MDctOGY3MC0zMmM5NmNiMzViMDQEcG9zAzQEc2VjA01lZGlhQkxpc3RNaXhlZExQQ0FUZW1wBHZlcgNkNzZmYzFkOC0zN2I1LTExZTItYmVjYi03ZWJjNWUzOTM1MzA-;_ylg=X3oDMTFucXJnOGdpBGludGwDdHcEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LXR3BHBzdGFpZAMEcHN0Y2F0A2hvbWUEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3Source: