Chinese hospital’s plan for ‘lucky’ Harvard babies gets poor marks
- Wards were named after leading universities in the hope of giving babies an auspicious start in life, but plan was scrapped after hospital bosses were warned of the possible legal pitfalls
A hospital in southwestern China has reversed a decision to name its neonatal wards after renowned universities after being warned it might be at risk of legal action.
The rooms at the hospital in Zhongxian county in Chongqing had been named after some of China’s leading universities, such as Tsinghua, Peking, Nankai and Zhejiang, as well as the likes of Harvard and Oxford, Guangzhou Daily reported on Friday.
The president of the hospital, whose name was not released in the report, told the newspaper it had named the wards after renowned universities to bring luck to the newborn babies and provide a better service to their parents.
He insisted the hospital did not charge extra for being born in one of the auspiciously named rooms, saying: “Our room pricing follows the strict regulations set by the authorities. We didn’t charge any additional fees.”
However, he admitted he had not sought advice from lawyers before adopting the names and was not aware of the potential infringement. He confirmed that the badges carrying the names had been taken off.
Schools and nurseries named after leading schools and colleges are common across China, often using the names without permission.