As many a restaurant owner will tell you, within any given year, there’s a very good chance at least one customer will “dine & dash”, generally leaving the server to foot the bill. But how about committing a “treat and dash” after visiting a doctor? Unfortunately that’s become a reality at one Shenzhen hospital. According to local media, an attempt to shorten wait times has worked so well that more than a few patients are fleeing without paying.

As queues to register and pay at hospitals can be horrendous, last month Shenzhen No. 4 People’s Hospital decided to try something markedly different: rather than patients pay for services upfront, the hospital introduced the idea of “diagnosis and treat first, settle accounts later”. As the name implies, all of the city’s health-insurance holders can now receive the necessary treatment right away, and settle their tab when they receive their prescriptions at the end of the procedure.

According to the hospital office director, 8,000 patients have thus far taken advantage of the service. The problem is that 47 patients have fled without paying. While 26 patients have since come back to pay, 21 others have still yet to pay their medical fees. Asked how to solve the problem, a senior official said they are negotiating with Shenzhen Social Security Administration, to set up a “most wanted list.” Those who appear on it will not be able to use their medical insurance card until they have paid up.

In response to the news, one netizen said, “So you’ve upgraded medical services. When will you upgrade the people’s character?” Another suggested introducing a deposit to prevent patients from fleeing.