Irritated by medical institutions with similar names, a renowned Beijing hospital has issued a statement, warning patients not to be duped by copycat institutes trying to ride on its coattails.

"Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) is based in Beijing, and Beijing only, and has never set up any branches or hospitals anywhere else," the hospital said in the statement issued Wednesday.

Founded in 1921 in Beijing by the Rockefeller Foundation's China Medical Board, the Peking Union College Hospital is a teaching hospital and research center of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

A hospital spokesman said more than 50 hospitals nationwide are suspected of cheating patients by claiming connections to the PUMCH.

The hospitals gained patients' trust simply by putting the word "Union" into their names.

Li Xuewang, deputy head of the PUMCH, said some brazen hospitals put pictures of the PUMCH in their advertisements or linked their websites to the PUMCH website. The official said the hospital currently has no effective way of protecting its trademark.

Apart from the PUMCH, China has two other century-old hospitals whose names include the word "Union" -- Wuhan Union Hospital and the Affiliated Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Both of the hospitals were founded in 1860s by British churches.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2007)