Recently, in Shandong, an informant reported to the media that some individuals were running a surrogacy service, even colluding with doctors from top-tier hospitals to conduct procedures such as egg retrieval in underground labs. On August 26, the topic of surrogacy surged in popularity, once again attracting attention from various sectors.
On August 26, Henan TV’s “City Report” program revealed that a person named Cong claimed to have been in the surrogacy industry for ten years, operating two legitimate registered companies in Shandong: Qingdao Chunyun IVF Consultation Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Meike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. These companies conducted illegal surrogacy under the guise of IVF, with Cong stating, “Surrogacy for one child costs 750,000 yuan. If you want gender selection, it’s an additional 200,000 yuan, all inclusive.”
According to the informant, this surrogacy agency consisted of about five to six people, with some specifically scouting for clients in need of surrogacy on online platforms, as well as finding willing surrogate mothers and “egg sellers.”
This surrogacy agency, located in an almost abandoned auto trading city in Qingdao, Shandong, had its own underground laboratory spanning over 800 square meters. They possessed all necessary medical equipment for procedures like egg retrieval, embryo transplantation, and embryo cultivation. They colluded with doctors, anesthesiologists, and nurses from top-tier hospitals to conduct illegal procedures in the underground lab, charging fees per operation: 1,500 yuan for each procedure, 2,000 yuan for the anesthesiologist, and clients had to bring their own anesthetic.
The collaborating doctors included Dr. Li, deputy director of the Reproductive Center at Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Qian, deputy chief physician at Qingdao Lianchi Maternity and Child Hospital. Since the lab started operations on March 10 this year, they had performed dozens of procedures for egg retrieval and embryo transplantation by July.
One informant revealed that a girl had already “donated” eggs seventeen or eighteen times, having to donate eggs once every three months. Once, the staff at the agency gave the girl anesthesia, but she forgot to insert it. During the surgery, the girl’s screams could be heard throughout the corridor, causing extreme pain. The doctor performing the procedure vowed never to do it again. Due to the “resignation” of the egg retrieval specialist, the surrogacy agency even had obstetricians performing these procedures and even made janitors responsible for conducting ultrasounds and mechanical disinfection!
When the collusion between Dr. Li, deputy chief physician at Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital, and the underground surrogacy agency was exposed, he exclaimed, “I understand, my career is over.”
The topic of illegal surrogacy surged in popularity. Netizens commented, “Anesthesia drugs can be taken out of the hospital? Quite impressive.” “Any act of cannibalism or oppression cannot be tolerated.” “It seems that an underground industry has long been established; where there is demand, there is a market. Will it end up similar to the never-ending fight against pornography, with hidden currents flowing?” “This is just the tip of the iceberg; similar companies existed in China 20 years ago.” “I heard there are industrialized surrogacy villages in China.”
On August 26, the Qingdao Health Commission announced that they would form a joint investigation team to look into the alleged surrogacy activities of a certain biotech company circulating on the internet.