Business ties can harm health sector

GlaxoSmithKline's bribery case in China raises issues that must be addressed by the police, said an article in China Business News (excerpts below).

The GSK bribery case may just expose the tip of the iceberg.

The chaotic nature of the pharmaceutical market in China is well-known.

In the medicine field, bribery takes many forms.

Businessmen pay for officials and doctors to travel abroad for a holiday in the name of attending academic seminars or they help officials and doctors publish academic journals.

To eradicate the root cause of bribery in this sector the central government must deepen reform to separate the medicinal side of the business from public hospitals.

To protect the public interest, hospitals and doctors should not have any direct dealings that may be called into question later with pharmaceutical giants.