A surgeon from a Beijing hospital has been dismissed and expelled from the Communist Party following revelations by his wife about extramarital affairs—some of which resulted in pregnancies and abortions—according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
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Wife’s revelations spark scandal
According to the outlet, the controversy began in mid-April when a tip-off letter written by the surgeon’s wife, Dr Gu, herself a physician at another leading hospital, went viral on mainland Chinese social media. The letter accused her husband, Xiao Fei, a 39-year-old chest surgeon at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, of engaging in a series of affairs with colleagues, abusing his professional power, and compromising patient care.
In response to the allegations, the hospital issued a statement on April 27 confirming the accusations were true and announcing Xiao’s dismissal and removal from the Communist Party.
Affairs, pregnancies, and professional misconduct
According to Gu, Xiao began his first known affair in 2019 with a nurse surnamed Shi. The two travelled together and Shi was even introduced to Xiao’s parents in his hometown in Shaanxi province. Shi, who is married, became pregnant by Xiao twice—one pregnancy ended in miscarriage and the other was terminated.
{{/usCountry}}According to Gu, Xiao began his first known affair in 2019 with a nurse surnamed Shi. The two travelled together and Shi was even introduced to Xiao’s parents in his hometown in Shaanxi province. Shi, who is married, became pregnant by Xiao twice—one pregnancy ended in miscarriage and the other was terminated.
{{/usCountry}}Despite Xiao’s written promise to remain faithful, he began another affair in June last year with a junior doctor surnamed Dong. She became pregnant in September, and by November, Xiao had moved in with her. Xiao was even filmed accompanying Dong to prenatal check-ups.
Dong’s continued placement in Xiao’s department, against regulations, sparked conflict with Dr Ma Haoning, who oversaw training for junior doctors. Although Dong was supposed to be transferred, she remained in the department, allegedly due to professional connections.
In one serious breach, Xiao and Dong abandoned an anaesthetised patient in the operating theatre for 40 minutes after Xiao confronted a nurse who had criticised Dong’s work.
Xiao’s response and fallout
Speaking to The Economic Observer, Xiao admitted to “problems in his personal life” but claimed his medical ethics were “flawless”.
“I did something wrong. But I do not think I have compromised medical safety,” he said, adding, “The disciplinary committee at my hospital issued such a serious punishment on me in such a short time. I object to this decision.”
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Xiao, a graduate of Peking University Health Science Centre and a former visiting scholar at the Mayo Clinic and Washington University in St. Louis, has seen his reputation collapse.
Meanwhile, Dr Ma has been hailed online as a whistleblower for upholding standards. Notably, Ma is also a keyboardist in the indie rock band Penicillin, and his social media following has soared to 50,000 in the wake of the scandal.