Dr. Chen Yao-li stripped of medical license for brokering organ transplants in China

According to the Central News Agency, Dr. Chen Yao-li, the former deputy director of Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, has been stripped of his medical license after being convicted of brokering organ transplants for patients in China. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang confirmed the decision today, marking the first time a doctor in Taiwan has lost their license for such activities. Reports indicate that since 2008, Chen conspired with nurses and biotech executives to facilitate liver and kidney transplants in China, profiting significantly. The Changhua District Court found that Chen, a prominent figure in the field, abused his position for personal gain, totaling NT$14.66 million. He was sentenced to two years in prison with a five-year probation and ordered to pay NT$5 million to the public treasury. The Ministry recently revoked his license under Article 16 of the Human Organ Transplant Act. Shih emphasized that Chen's actions violated medical ethics and the law. While licenses have been revoked in the past for insurance fraud or drug-related offenses, this is the first case involving overseas organ transplant brokering.