Source: OT-Team(G), 扬子晚报
A South Korean doctor's failed treatment in Shanghai left a patient in pain. Now, the patient is pursuing legal action after uncovering the doctor's questionable involvement.
A man from Hangzhou, Mr. Jiang, spent nearly 200,000 yuan over several years undergoing combined jaw and orthodontic treatment in Shanghai. However, less than two months after surgery, his condition worsened, and he found himself suffering from a relapse, once again experiencing an underbite. The Korean orthodontist, Mr. H, who had been overseeing his treatment, proposed a new solution, but Mr. Jiang, frustrated by the repeated treatments, decided to stop and seek legal action.
During the legal investigation, Mr. Jiang discovered an anomaly in his medical records. A signature from another Korean doctor, whom he did not recognize, appeared on his case file. Upon verification by the immigration authorities, it was confirmed that this doctor had not entered China since 2019.
Mr. Jiang suspected that Mr. H might be involved in the illegal practice of using another's credentials ("hanging a certificate"). He filed a complaint with the Huangpu District Health Commission in Shanghai. After investigation, the Health Commission confirmed that Mr. H was not licensed to practice medicine in China. However, during questioning, Mr. H denied practicing medicine, claiming he was merely helping Mr. Jiang as a friend. The Health Commission could not make a conclusive determination on this matter.
In the meantime, Mr. Jiang filed a lawsuit against both the dental clinic and Shanghai's Ninth People's Hospital, seeking legal redress for his treatment.
A Series of Missteps: Orthodontic and Jaw Surgery Mismanagement
In 2016, Mr. Jiang sought advice from Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Ninth People's Hospital regarding jaw and orthodontic surgery. Due to financial reasons, he postponed treatment. In 2019, when he decided to proceed, he found that the hospital's expert appointments were difficult to secure, with long waiting times. During a visit to a dental clinic named "Shanghai Weidu Clinic," he met Mr. H, who claimed to be affiliated with the Ninth People's Hospital and offered to arrange surgery for him at the hospital. However, this required an advance payment of 60,000 yuan.
Mr. Jiang paid the deposit on the spot, and they agreed to start orthodontic treatment at Weidu Clinic before moving forward with the jaw surgery at the hospital. On December 1, 2019, Mr. H and Mr. Jiang signed an orthodontic contract, and Mr. H upgraded the treatment to Invisalign (worth 60,000 yuan). He also extracted two of Mr. Jiang's teeth, claiming it was to prepare for the surgery.
After a year of orthodontic treatment, Mr. Jiang finally had the jaw surgery at the Ninth People's Hospital in December 2020. The procedure was completed in two stages: one for jaw correction and another to remove titanium plates. Mr. Jiang told reporters that while the surgery was conducted at the hospital, the orthodontic work, tooth extractions, and Invisalign design were all done by Mr. H, who also arranged his follow-up visits. However, within two months after the surgery, Mr. Jiang's condition worsened, and the underbite returned.
Mr. Jiang continued wearing the Invisalign aligners from 2020 to 2023, with Mr. H continuously adjusting the treatment plan. Over the course of this period, Mr. Jiang spent an additional 7,000 yuan on extra procedures, bringing his total expenses to nearly 200,000 yuan. Unfortunately, the results remained unsatisfactory, and Mr. Jiang also developed neck pain due to his bite issues.
Legal Action and the Discovery of Suspicious Practices
In 2023, Mr. Jiang visited multiple top dental hospitals across China for consultations. All advised him to restart his jaw and orthodontic treatment. In March 2023, when the dental department at Weidu Clinic closed, Mr. H asked Mr. Jiang to visit a different clinic, Shanghai Quankang Clinic. Mr. Jiang, unwilling to continue the treatment, decided to stop and signed an agreement to end his orthodontic care, stipulating that treatment would cease after he received his fourth set of Invisalign aligners. However, Mr. Jiang never received these aligners, prompting him to initiate legal proceedings.
In May 2025, during the judicial appraisal process, Mr. Jiang discovered that his medical records contained the stamp of a doctor named "Dr. Wen," whom he had never met. Further investigation revealed that Dr. Wen had left the country in 2019 and had not entered China since. This raised suspicions that Mr. H had been "hanging a certificate" by using another doctor's credentials.
Mr. Jiang confirmed with Shanghai Jiao Tong University that Mr. H was indeed a doctoral candidate, but the Health Commission confirmed that he had no legal right to practice medicine in Shanghai. Additionally, an administrative response from the Huangpu District Health Commission revealed that Mr. H had neither obtained the necessary medical qualifications nor the required foreign doctor practice permit. Although he had training at the Ninth People's Hospital, Mr. H had been practicing at private clinics without a valid license.
Mr. Jiang also raised concerns that Weidu Clinic had failed to properly vet the qualifications of its medical staff. He discovered that several of his visits to Weidu Clinic were not recorded in his medical records, possibly to circumvent the clinic's policy, which states that if a patient does not return within three months, treatment would be deemed abandoned. In response to Mr. Jiang's complaint, the Health Commission stated that they could not verify the claims, and the case was dismissed. Mr. Jiang subsequently filed an administrative lawsuit.
Legal Proceedings and Continued Investigations
In July 2023, Mr. Jiang sued both the Ninth People's Hospital and Weidu Clinic. His case has been ongoing for over two years, with the medical damage assessment taking a considerable amount of time. He estimates that the legal process may take another year. In addition to holding Mr. H accountable for practicing without a license, Mr. Jiang is also seeking accountability from Weidu Clinic for failing to properly vet its medical staff and from the Ninth People's Hospital for not regulating the out-of-hospital practices of its training doctors.
The Ninth People's Hospital stated that the matter was under legal process and declined further comment. Weidu Clinic has not yet responded despite repeated attempts to contact them.
No comments:
Post a Comment