Beijing (AsiaNews) - False diagnosis immediately after giving birth in order to steal and resell new borns as part of a human trafficking ring. With these charges Shaanxi police arrested Zhang Mouxia, deputy director of the maternity department of Maternal and Childcare Hospital in Fuping, in the north-west of the country. The doctor duped at least 8 pairs of new parents, convincing them to give up their children with a diagnosis of serious diseases. This is confirmed by the District County Police, who have announced 3 more arrests.
According to the China Business News, the investigation was launched following a complaint from a couple who gave birth to a son two weeks ago. According to the father, immediately after the birth Dr. Zhang announced that the mother and son were suffering from hepatitis and syphilis, and that "it would have been impossible for them to" bear the medical expenses to treat the child, that "would die within a few days". To "avoid this problem" she got him to sign a document and took away the baby.
However, the two new parents became suspicious after seeing the doctor leave the hospital with the baby in her arms. They went to another hospital for an examination, where nothing unusual was detected in the mother. They returned to the Zhang's Department and accused her of stealing the child: the doctor tried to bribe them with 20 thousand yuan (about 2 thousand euro) to not go to the police.
Instead the couple chose to report her triggering a police raid that led to two more arrests. According to hospital director Gao Wenping, "Maternity doctors have no right to make such proposals, even if the newborn child is seriously ill." The man then promised the "full cooperation" of the health facility for the ongoing investigation.
However, the sale of infants seems to be a growing phenomenon throughout China. Because of the one child law, in fact, wealthy couples who can not have children naturally turn to the Chinese mafia, which in turn corrupts the doctors to steal newborn and healthy males to be delivered to the highest bidders.
