More than 1,000 medical workers in an eastern Chinese city's 73 hospitals have been investigated for allegedly taking kickbacks, as China cleans up its medical sector.

The investigation, which started about six months ago in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, targeted hospital staff and more than 60 pharmaceutical sales representatives.

Money involved amounted to 20.49 million yuan ($3.3 million), an official with the Zhangzhou Commission for Discipline Inspection told China Daily on Thursday, speaking anonymously.

In the city's Pinghe county, nine out of 10 doctors were suspected of taking bribes from drugmakers or distributors.

The case appears to expose the severity of bribery in China's medical sector, where high drug prices and poor services are two major sources of public concern.

A pharmaceutical representative surnamed Zhuo who was arrested in the investigation in Zhangzhou said drugmakers and distributors give kickbacks to hospital staff to have their drugs prescribed by doctors, according to a report by a website run by the Fujian provincial government.

In China, medicine needs to go through public bidding at provincial medical agencies, city-level medical agencies and public hospitals before it can be sold to patients.

"We have to do a lot of public relations," Zhou said.

"To ensure the medicine can win the bids and doctors will prescribe it, we have to take care of hospital staff members, the health bureau and the food and drug administration."

The investigation by Zhangzhou's disciplinary authorities showed about half of the final price of a drug has been used for what Zhou calls "public relations".

The price of an injection can be 11.5 yuan ($2), 10 times more than its actual cost.

Zhang Jiaoxing, a discipline inspection official in Pinghe county, said, "The case reflected loopholes in the drug price control system, and those who break the rules should be seriously punished."

The National Development and Reform Commission has launched an investigation into 60 drugmakers, including foreign companies and more than 10 Chinese firms.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Tuesday that tough measures will be taken to crack down on commercial bribery and corruption involving the procurement of drugs and medical equipment.

Contact the writers at sunli@chinadaily.com.cn and humeidong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 07/26/2013 page3)