Chinese armed forces hospitals have been rooting out outsourcing programs and management of military medical institutions will be further tightened, a defense ministry spokesman said Thursday, in response to a high-profile case involving the death of a young cancer patient.

In April, Wei Zexi, a 21-year-old college student, died of a rare form of cancer after he had undergone a clinically unproven treatment at a privately operated biomedical center at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Force. The center claimed that the treatment was an advanced therapy introduced from the US.

After the tragedy, China's health and military authorities jointly started an investigation into the military hospital over allegations that it subcontracted the operations of its cancer clinic to private owners.

Earlier this month, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said the hospital had published incorrect information, posted misleading advertisements and violated regulations on working with the private sector.

China's military will end all paid services in every sector in the next three years, while existing contracts for paid services must be allowed to expire.

In accordance with the military and armed police leadership's request that all paid services offered by the armed forces in every sector be banned, military medical organizations will be thoroughly investigated and further regulations on them will be issued, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Yang Yujun said at a monthly news briefing on Thursday.