Surrogacy Photo:VCG

The Health Commission of Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, issued a notice on Tuesday in response to netizens' reports of surrogacy activities at Wuhan Puren Hospital and false paternity testing conducted by Wuhan Ruiboxiang Judicial Appraisal Institute. Currently, the issuance of birth medical certificates by Wuhan Puren Hospital has been temporarily suspended, and a special investigation is being conducted into the hospital's reproductive services and the handling of birth medical certificates.

The Health Commission, together with the Public Security and judicial departments, has launched an investigation into the hospital and the appraisal institution. Wuhan Ruiboxiang Judicial Appraisal Institute has been instructed to cease its judicial appraisal business and undergo investigation.

On November 24, an anti-human trafficking volunteer nicknamed Shangguan Zhengyi posted on social media that some intermediary groups claimed to have cooperated with Wuhan Puren Hospital in surrogacy and provided relevant production information. "Where there is surrogacy, there will be the phenomenon of selling birth certificate," he said.

According to the official website, Wuhan Puren Hospital was established in 1955 and is a large modern tertiary Grade A comprehensive hospital integrating medical treatment, prevention, scientific research, teaching, rehabilitation, and health care.

Earlier in November, the director of another hospital in Hubei Province was reported to have openly sold birth certificates, earning over 60,000 yuan ($8,241) for each document, with the local health authority stating November 6 that the city's public security department had initiated an investigation.

Currently, the obstetrics and gynecology department of the hospital have suspended operations pending the outcomes of a formal investigation. The individuals responsible have been taken into custody, and the hospital director has been subjected to criminal coercive measures and is under investigation. The special team has also met with the whistleblower to obtain evidence relevant to the case.