Thank the doctors who saved you — send thank-you letters, banners, or satisfaction ratings instead of cash gifts. The rules prohibit money, not gratitude

It costs nothing at all. Writing a thank-you letter or filling out a satisfaction survey takes just a few minutes.

Article 7 of the “Nine Guidelines on Ethical Conduct for Medical Staff” (No. 41, 2021) states: “Maintain orderly medical practices and ensure fairness. Uphold equality to foster a just healthcare environment. It is strictly prohibited to accept personal benefits in exchange for allocating scarce medical resources such as appointment slots, beds, medicines, tests, or surgeries.” Article 8 adds: “Build harmonious relationships without accepting ‘red envelopes’ from patients. Adhere strictly to medical ethics and self-discipline.” It further specifies that accepting gifts, cash, gift cards, securities, or other valuables from patients or relatives is forbidden. Likewise, attending paid meals or entertainment arranged by patients is prohibited. Hospitals must enforce these rules, conduct inspections, and penalize violations. Satisfaction ratings now form part of performance evaluations for all tertiary public hospitals under national policy. According to official documents, hospital satisfaction comprises both patient and staff satisfaction, measured via surveys of outpatients, inpatients, and medical staff. A unified national platform collects these results, which are then factored into hospital performance reviews. Hospitals must also handle patient complaints per regulations, establishing dedicated offices to receive, investigate, and respond to concerns regarding medical services, safety, and quality. The relevant policy document was issued in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively, with all three years clearly stated in the official materials.

国家卫生健康委、国家医保局、国家中医药局 (2021). 关于印发医疗机构工作人员廉洁从业九项准则的通知（国卫医发〔2021〕41 号）. 国务院公报 http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2022/content_5678098.htm；国务院办公厅 (2019). 关于加强三级公立医院绩效考核工作的意见（国办发〔2019〕4 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2019-01/30/content_5362266.htm；国家卫生健康委 (2019). 医疗机构投诉管理办法（委令第 3 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2019-10/08/content_5436976.htm

The beneficiaries are both you and the person who saved you. Wanting to thank someone after a whole night of emergency treatment is natural. You can express gratitude; only its form needs to change. Cash envelopes, cigarettes and alcohol transfer risk to the recipient, whereas thank-you letters, honorary banners and satisfaction ratings are recognized by the system. If you have already given a gift and it is returned, do not assume it was too small or that the recipient is putting on airs: refusing it is required by the rules. Also distinguish two situations: cash gifts to doctors fall under professional discipline and hospital rules, whereas giving property to investigators or law-enforcement personnel falls under the criminal offense of bribery. These are different levels of responsibility; see Section 8, item 40 for the latter. Hospitals generally accept thank-you letters and banners, but the claim that they “go into individual and department records” is based on experience, not a prescribed rule. The documented rule is that satisfaction-survey results are included in the performance assessment of tertiary public hospitals. If you have doubts about the medical treatment itself, request the sealing of medical records immediately (see item 6 of this section, sealing medical records), and retain your own copies of medical records and images (item 5, keeping your own copies of records and images).