A man in Wuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, claims he can treat ED, arthritis and injuries from falls. His sign on the sidewalk promises not to charge people if he can not cure them. A number of seniors line up for their consultation on October 10. Photo: VCG

Men in China suffering from erectile dysfunction, low sperm count or seeking enhanced performance are being taken advantage of by unscrupulous private hospitals, according to recent media reports. 
When a reporter with Life Times, a newspaper affiliated with the Global Times, posed as a patient with erectile problems he was told he would require surgery costing 1,000 yuan ($152). 
The doctor at Bozhou Changjiang Hospital in the city of Bozhou, East China's Anhui Province, had only done a prostrate exam and blood and urine tests before coming up with the diagnosis. The reporter, Li Di, does not suffer erectile dysfunction. 
The hospital's written record of the reporter's tests indicates he suffers from impotence and prostate dysfunction. The physician, Cao Yang, told the reporter his condition threatened his ability to have children. "Only by having the surgery can your erectile problems be completely cured," the reporter said Cao told him. The report did not indicate what surgery had been proposed. 
When the reporter demurred having the surgery the doctor tried to sell him another sure cure; medication and an IV drip costing 800 yuan. 
Shortly after the reporter's consultation, the Bozhou Changjiang Hospital was shut down on November 23 and is being investigated by the local government, which cited Li's report as a factor in taking the action. 
Bozhou Changjiang Hospital was licensed by the Bozhou Commission of Health and Family Planning Commission. 
Other media reports found the hospital's medical personnel concocted fake medical records to trick patients into paying for high-priced surgeries.
The hospital's "andrology" department had plastered advertisements on buses and street signs in Bozhou city. The ads boosted the hospital's professionalism and offered deep discounts on procedures that all guaranteed a cure.
China's social media is full of personal accounts of similar attempts to deceive men who sought help at the Bozhou Changjiang Hospital, and other private hospitals, an Internet search by the Global Times found.
Experts say false diagnosis and unnecessary, unproven medicines and surgeries are common in China's private clinics. 
More specialists needed
China's public hospitals are underdeveloped in the treatment of male impotence, which is usually treated by doctors in urology departments, experts said.
Jiang Hui, director of the andrology department at the Chinese Medical Association told the Life Times that urology departments lack specialists in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, adding that only 10 public hospitals have established andrology departments in China, and private hospitals with ill intent have recognized a huge demand for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. 
These private andrology hospitals attract patients with fake advertising, making overly boastful and false claims, Jiang said. 
Jiang added that many of these hospitals hire doctors who have no training in sexual dysfunction. 
Some have hired doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or retired doctors who formerly worked in other medical departments, said Jiang. 
Millions visit private hospitals
According to Life Times' investigation, Bozhou Changjiang Hospital was established by people from Putian, East China's Fujian Province. 
The Beijing News also reported in 2016 that more than 60,000 people from Putian work in the medical industry and operate hospitals that receive on average 169 million patients visits per year. 
According to the report, the Putian government listed the medical sector as one of its pillar industries. 
In 2015, news site caijing.com.cn reported that of the 10,000 private hospitals in China, 80 percent were established and managed by people from Putian. 
The report did not indicate which people or organizations in Putian are involved in the private hospital sector. 
The report said individuals in Putian run specialized hospitals of andrology, gynaecology, dentistry and cosmetic plastic surgery. Some run private hospital chains, the report said. 
Many private hospitals run advertising campaigns that exaggerate their professionalism and ability to cure disease and illnesses, said experts. 
They often spend large sums to place ads on search engines, such as Baidu, according to the Caijing report. 
Jiang told Life Times the government should crack down on online platforms that host fake advertising. 
To tackle the problem of men seeking help for sexual dysfunction, Jiang said public hospitals should improve services so they can provide appropriate treatment and better meet the huge demand.