China doctor influencer banned from social media for staging fake medical emergencies to boost online traffic
- Dramatically narrates fabricated stories to camera, attracts 1.5 million fans, stages surgery scenes at home, no vital equipment, social media bans him
A doctor influencer in China has been shut down for staging fake dramatic medical emergencies in an operating room to boost his online profile.
Tao, 38, from Anhui province in eastern China, uses the online name “Doctor Tao Telling the Truth”, posting videos on Douyin, which have attracted 1.5 million fans.
In Tao’s videos, he wears surgical scrubs and theatrically narrates the patient’s condition, their journey to the hospital and the emergency outcome.
In one video, he begins by saying: “It’s now 4:34 am, and this person just did not make it.”
He goes on to describe the surgery, claiming the patient was a 32-year-old man who suffered a brain haemorrhage after a night of drinking with friends and died despite rescue efforts.
“You just do not take care of your body! When you’re on my operating table, none of your so-called friends will come. In the end, it is only your family who pays the price,” he says to the camera.