Doctor jailed for 17 years over bribery, unnecessary operations

A doctor in Changsha, Hunan province, was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for operating on patients who did not require surgery and taking bribes.

Liu Xiangfeng, a doctor at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, was found guilty by the Changsha Intermediate People's Court of the crimes of deliberately harming others and bribery. The court also fined him 420,000 yuan ($59,000).

It found that he had performed surgeries on six patients unnecessarily so he could make extra money while working at the hospital. The operations left five seriously injured and another with minor injuries.