Quack doctor gets 15 years over student's death

A quack Chinese doctor and ex-convict was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for practicing medicine without a license, which led to the death of a college student.

The Luoyang Intermediate People's Court in Henan Province, fined Hu Wanlin, who claims himself to be an "omnipotent doctor", 200,000 yuan (32,500 US dollars).

Hu's partners, Lyu Wei and Tang Mengjun, got 11 years and three years respectively with different fines. A fourth defendant, He Guizhi, was exempted from criminal penalty.

In late August 2013, Hu and his followers took a group of 12 "patients" to a hotel in Xin'an County on a "health program". A 22-year-old college student Yun Xuyang, a devotee of traditional Chinese medicine, died after taking a substance provided by Hu.

An autopsy showed Yun had consumed Glauber's salt, a colorless hydrated sodium sulfate used in paper and glass manufacture and a cathartic and diuretic.

Another "patient" Nong Mengyuan became unconscious after taking Hu's concoction, but was saved by doctors at Xin'an County People's Hospital.

The court also ordered the four defendants to pay compensation of 85,889 yuan for economic losses to the family of Yun.

Hu, 65, a native of Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, was sentenced 15 years in prison in 2001 for practising medicine without a license. He was released in 2011 after a term reduction.

Hu and Lyu said they plan to appeal their verdicts.