Abstract: This paper presents the results from a survey of first-level hospitals in Urumqi, China. The survey had two parts: the first part was aimed at understanding the operation of the ethics committees of first-level hospitals, including the process for electing members and the variety of members’ backgrounds. Information was also gathered about the establishment of criteria, operational rules and regulations, and standard operational procedures. The aim of the second part was to investigate the level of understanding among technicians and doctors about the function of the ethics committees. This paper identifies and analyzes some deficiencies found in the operation of hospital ethics committees, offers some constructive suggestions for improvement, and promotes the role of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region hospital ethics committees.

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