First Case of Medical License Revocation for Organ Transplant Brokering in China; Ministry of Health: Permanently Banned

Central News Agency, Taipei, June 2. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has officially revoked the medical license of Dr. Chen Yao-li for brokering illegal organ transplants in China for profit. The Department of Medical Affairs stated that Chen will permanently lose his eligibility to practice medicine and will be barred from taking the national medical licensing exam. The only variable would be a potential court ruling if he seeks legal relief. This is the first case in Taiwan where a medical license has been revoked due to illegal organ transplant brokering. Reports indicate that since 2008, Chen conspired with nurses and biotech company owners to broker liver and kidney transplants in China for multiple patients, profiting NT$14.66 million. The district court sentenced him to two years in prison with a five-year probation and a NT$5 million fine for violating the Human Organ Transplant Act. The MOHW recently revoked his license under Article 16 of the same act. Liu Yu-ching, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Affairs, explained that the central and local governments conducted separate disciplinary hearings. While the local government suspended his practice for six months based on medical ethics, the central government imposed the permanent revocation. Liu emphasized that this is the most severe penalty available, based on the gravity of the offense. Unless a court overturns the decision, the ban remains permanent.