Irritated by medical institutions with similar names, a renowned
Beijing hospital has issued a statement, warning patients not to be
duped by copycat institutes trying to ride on its coattails.
"Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) is based in
Beijing, and Beijing only, and has never set up any branches or
hospitals anywhere else," the hospital said in the statement issued
Wednesday.
Founded in 1921 in Beijing by the Rockefeller Foundation's China
Medical Board, the Peking Union College Hospital is a teaching
hospital and research center of the Chinese Academy of Medical
Sciences.
A hospital spokesman said more than 50 hospitals nationwide are
suspected of cheating patients by claiming connections to the
PUMCH.
The hospitals gained patients' trust simply by putting the word
"Union" into their names.
Li Xuewang, deputy head of the PUMCH, said some brazen hospitals
put pictures of the PUMCH in their advertisements or linked their
websites to the PUMCH website. The official said the hospital
currently has no effective way of protecting its trademark.
Apart from the PUMCH, China has two other century-old hospitals
whose names include the word "Union" -- Wuhan Union Hospital and
the Affiliated Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Both of
the hospitals were founded in 1860s by British churches.
(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2007)