"Xie threatened the carriers that if they didn't follow the 'suggestion' from him, he would transfer their health documents to the local CDC where their identification was registered," Xiao said.
"Many HIV/AIDS carriers went outside their hometown to take tests and drugs to hide their health condition from friends and colleagues. Xie's threats hit them in a weak spot," Xiao said, because of the stigma of HIV/AIDS.
After Xie's activities were reported, some patients got their money back, according to Zhu. But no announcement has been made about whether Xie has been prosecuted.
Liu Xixiang, director of the Henan Health and Family Planning Commission's HIV/AIDS prevention office, said traditional Chinese medicine and other antiviral therapies that were involved in the case were not approved by the State Drug and Food Administration, and staff members in the health department are not allowed to be involved in trials.
"Publicity and knowledge about HIV/AIDS should be better promoted, and staff members in health departments should be better regulated in the future to prevent such cases from happening again," Liu said.
