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.