Important role

The anti-corruption campaign has triggered a discussion on potential disruptions to normal medical order and academic activities.

Sun Ningling, a cardiovascular medicine specialist at Peking University People's Hospital, said she resolutely supports anti-corruption efforts, but objects to blindly stigmatizing all academic conferences.

"Academic meetings provide a platform for doctors to exchange knowledge, discuss complicated cases, and play an important role in improving our skills. When governments cannot fund these events, it is legitimate for medical associations and enterprises to provide sponsorship," she said.

However, some local campaigns have labeled sponsorship offered to academic conferences by industry associations as a form of corruption, she added.

Responding directly to the concern, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday that academic conferences and activities that abide by regulations should be supported and encouraged, but practices that use fake academic meetings to cover up the illegal transfer of benefits and division of sponsorship fees should be rectified.

Ren, from Beihang University, said that as a result of the campaign in 2006, a large number of medical experts were detained, interrogated and had their licenses revoked.

Many patients who waited for as long as two years to obtain an appointment with these experts were left disappointed.

"The campaign now underway should forcefully root out all existing cases, and avoid being stretched over a prolonged period that might disrupt the regular operation of hospitals," he said.

"It takes determination as well as a wise strategy to weed out corruption."