• Date:
  • Category: News

Here is an introduction to the case based on recent media reports.

Incident Summary

The son of the president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine has been publicly accused of "eating empty pay" (a form of payroll fraud where an employee collects a salary without actually working). The allegations were made by a hospital employee, and the university has since launched an investigation .

The Allegations

On April 28, 2026, a hospital employee surnamed Chen made a public report against the son of the hospital's president, Zhu Zhenhua. Her key allegations included:

  • Appointment Without Work: Chen claimed that after graduating in 2019, Zhu's son was assigned to the hospital's Health Management Department but "never actually worked a single day in that department" .
  • Repetitive Benefits: Despite his absence from the Health Management Department, he allegedly continued to receive benefits from it, including performance bonuses, holiday shopping cards, and even a "Spring Festival opening red envelope" of 400 RMB, which was signed for by another person on his behalf .
  • Disputed Amount: Chen estimated that this practice had been ongoing for over five years, with the missing bonuses potentially exceeding 1 million RMB (approximately $140,000 USD) . She stated that the monthly bonuses for staff in that department ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 RMB, leading to an estimate of around 240,000 RMB per year .

The Investigation and Official Response

The Hunan University of Chinese Medicine announced on April 30 that its preliminary investigation had reached different conclusions regarding the amount of money involved .

The university stated that Zhu's son was transferred from the Health Management Department to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in January 2022. During this secondment period, the Health Management Department repeatedly paid him performance bonuses totaling 84,000 RMB. The university has demanded that this amount be returned and has ordered the hospital to tighten its internal management to close loopholes .

This figure of 84,000 RMB is significantly less than the "over 1 million RMB" alleged by the whistleblower. An earlier internal investigation by the hospital's disciplinary committee in 2025 had found only 20,000 RMB in duplicate payments, which was also returned .

Hospital president Zhu Zhenhua acknowledged that the individual in question is his son but has denied the allegations of "eating empty pay," stating that the matter had been investigated by disciplinary authorities .

The Whistleblower's Response

Whistleblower Chen has rejected the university's findings as insufficient. She argues the investigation is not thorough enough and has called for a higher-level probe, ideally by the provincial disciplinary commission, and for a full audit of all bank accounts belonging to the president's son .

It is also noted that this is not the first time this whistleblower has raised serious allegations against the hospital. She had previously reported the head of the Health Management Department for alleged financial irregularities and nepotism, leading to that individual's suspension .

The case remains under scrutiny as the public awaits any further action or a more detailed response from higher authorities.