Beijing to target hospital scalpers with facial recognition

The Beijing Municipal Health Commission has said around 30 Beijing hospitals have entered information on 2,100 hospital scalpers into its facial recognition system, according to Beijing Daily's report on Feb 22.

Information on the scalpers, who have histories of police fines, includes visual pictures and ID numbers. Once these scalpers enter the hospitals, they will be monitored.

City government has said that the commission will this year take strict measures to publish the names of hospital scalpers, which will see them banned from taking high-speed trains, registering companies, and applying for bank loans.

China has for years been working to address the issue of hospital scalpers.

Commonly known as huangniu, or yellow bulls, scalpers book appointments at major public hospitals – preventing genuine patients from doing so – and then illegally sell them on at vastly inflated prices.

Those unwilling to pay typically face lengthy waits, potentially putting lives at risk.