China has targeted illegal practices in cosmetic surgery, pregnancy and childbirth services, online health education and pharmaceutical procurement in this year's annual campaign to improve governance in the healthcare sector, authorities said recently.

The tasks were outlined in a circular issued by the National Health Commission and 13 other government departments on Monday, marking the launch of a yearly campaign to crack down on irregularities in the medical sector.

The document said enforcement efforts will target unqualified cosmetic service providers, crash courses that train participants to perform aesthetic procedures after only brief instruction, and false advertising in the medical aesthetics sector.

It also aims to crack down on illegal surrogacy, fetal sex identification and the issuance of fraudulent birth certificates, as well as malpractice in online health education, including illegal advertising and improper patient referrals.

In the pharmaceutical sector, regulators pledged to investigate violations including failure to clearly mark prices, price fraud and collusion to manipulate drug prices.

Supervision of the procurement of high-value medical consumables and equipment will also be strengthened. Key areas of focus include illegal interference by decision-makers in procurement processes, contract splitting to circumvent open bidding requirements, and tailoring tender specifications to favor specific bidders.

Meanwhile, authorities pledged to crack down on violent attacks against medical workers and online harassment targeting healthcare institutions.

The circular also stressed the need to strengthen end-to-end oversight of medical data, improve data review and traceability mechanisms, and standardize data security management.

"The disclosure, resale and unauthorized use of medical data is strictly prohibited, and profiteering from data will be resolutely curbed to ensure patient privacy and the security of personal information," it said.

The circular also called for stricter enforcement of professional ethics and anti-corruption rules for medical workers, as well as a tougher crackdown on illegal marketing practices disguised as academic or research activities.

This year's campaign directly responds to several media reports over the past year that exposed misconduct in the healthcare industry and prompted regulatory action.

In July last year, media reports exposed crash courses that enrolled students with no medical background and provided only a few days of training in injectable treatments and other medical procedures. The reports prompted the commission to strengthen oversight and enhance cross-departmental coordination in handling violations.

In late May, local authorities in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said they discovered drugs and medical equipment used for fertility treatment at a residential complex. Health and public security authorities have since launched an investigation into the case.