Ambulance Diversion, Tampered Records: Shenzhen Fined

A private hospital in Shenzhen has been fined for violating ambulance dispatch protocols by redirecting a 78-year-old fracture patient to its own facility against her family’s explicit wishes, and then tampering with medical records to cover up the violation. The case, reported by The Paper, has reignited concerns about ambulance dispatch oversight and private hospital accountability in China’s healthcare system.

The Incident

On March 17, 2024, a 78-year-old woman in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District suffered a fracture from a fall. Her daughter, Ms. Wu, called the 120 emergency hotline multiple times, explicitly requesting that her mother be taken to Shajing People’s Hospital or Fuyong People’s Hospital — public facilities located just 4 to 5 kilometers from their home.

Despite the Shenzhen Emergency Center’s dispatch record showing the ambulance was ordered to take the patient to Fuyong People’s Hospital, the ambulance instead transported her to Shenzhen GuangSheng Hospital, a private first-level comprehensive hospital owned by the same entity operating the ambulance. The hospital performed surgery on the patient for a left intertrochanteric femoral fracture the same day.

Following the surgery, the patient developed severe complications including mental abnormalities, incontinence, and an inability to stand. Ms. Wu believes these complications are linked to the hospital’s treatment.

Medical Record Tampering

In November 2024, Ms. Wu discovered that the Surgical Informed Consent Form she had signed had been altered. The modified version added claims about her mother having “severe osteoporosis, cognitive and mental障碍 (disorders),” and stated the patient “cannot cooperate with treatment post-surgery, which may affect fracture healing” — assertions Ms. Wu says were false, as her mother had been in good cognitive health before the procedure.

An investigation by the Shenzhen Health Commission confirmed that Physician Song (宋某某), a senior doctor at GuangSheng Hospital, had modified the consent form without the family’s consent, constituting medical record tampering. Two other physicians were also found to have improperly modified the Discharge Summary and anesthesia records.

Penalties Imposed

The Shenzhen Health Commission imposed the following penalties:

• Shenzhen GuangSheng Hospital: Fined ¥50,000 (approximately $6,900 USD) for failing to follow dispatch instructions
• Physician Song: Fined ¥30,000 and suspended from practice for one month for tampering with medical records
• Physician Liu (刘某): Given a warning for improperly modifying the Discharge Summary
• Physician Li (李某某): Given a warning for improper anesthesia record-keeping

A Family’s Two-Year Struggle for Justice

Ms. Wu has been pursuing legal action for over two years. The total treatment cost was approximately ¥22,000, of which the hospital later reduced ¥5,000 under a partial agreement. However, the family’s ability to pursue a medical malpractice鉴定 (forensic evaluation) has been blocked by the tampered records.

“Because the medical records were tampered with, and these are crucial materials for medical鉴定, the issue of record restoration has prevented the鉴定 from being conducted, and our rights protection efforts have stalled,” Ms. Wu told The Paper.

When Ms. Wu asked the Health Commission to provide original and modified versions of the records for comparison, the Commission instead advised her to “communicate with Shenzhen GuangSheng Hospital” — a response the family considers inadequate given the hospital’s lack of cooperation. The family now plans to sue both Shenzhen GuangSheng Hospital and the Shenzhen Emergency Center.

A Pattern of Abuse

This case is not an isolated incident. In a separate case reported by Interface News, Shenzhen Jian’an Hospital, another private facility, violated dispatch instructions in August 2025 by taking a patient with acute abdominal pain to its own facility instead of the designated public hospital. That patient later died. The hospital was fined ¥76,000 and had its pre-hospital emergency medical service资质 suspended for six months — a penalty widely criticized as too lenient.

Both cases highlight a fundamental conflict of interest: when private hospitals operate their own ambulances within the public 120 dispatch system, there is a financial incentive to redirect patients to the hospital’s own facility, where treatment, surgery, and hospitalization generate revenue, rather than to a public hospital, which would only generate transport fees.

Broader Implications

The case raises serious questions about regulatory deterrence. The ¥50,000 fine imposed on GuangSheng Hospital is significantly lower than the potential revenue from treating a surgical patient, leading critics to argue that current penalties fail to discourage misconduct. The tampering of medical records — a serious violation under Chinese law — further complicates patients’ ability to seek justice, as forensic evaluations cannot proceed without accurate documentation.

Public reaction has been sharply critical. Comments on The Paper’s report describe the penalties as “自罚三杯” (self-imposed slap on the wrist) and question why such violations do not carry criminal consequences.

What’s Next

The family’s planned lawsuit against the hospital and emergency center faces significant hurdles without a completed medical鉴定. The Shenzhen Medical Association, which organizes such evaluations, has declined to comment. Meanwhile, calls for regulatory reform are growing, with critics urging substantially increased penalties and consideration of criminal liability for cases involving patient death or serious harm.

As Ms. Wu continues her two-year fight for accountability, the case stands as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities patients face when profit motives intersect with emergency medical care.