Nantong – 18th December, 2016: A man has been sentenced to 22 months in jail for attacking a doctor at a hospital in Nantong. His friend was jailed for 16 months for stopping other people from helping the doctor and filming the attack on his mobile phone.
The 51-year-old doctor at the emergency department of the Nantong hospital in Jiangsu province was beaten for about three minutes, causing a concussion and broken teeth, the Modern Express reported.
The incident happened on an evening in June when the patient, who had been drinking and had a centimetre-long cut on his hand, became angry when the doctor refused to stitch the wound. The doctor said the patient could not be given anaesthetic because he was under the influence of alcohol.
Chinese doctor critical after patient’s father stabs her repeatedly over treatment row
The doctor suggested that he instead clean and wrap the wound, but the patient became angry and attacked the doctor.
During the incident, the patient’s friend blocked the door to the room to prevent the doctor’s colleagues from interfering. He also used his mobile phone to record the attack, and the video was used as evidence by the court.
Violence against doctors by dissatisfied patients or their relatives in Chinese hospitals is a problem, and has made the profession less appealing to the public. Doctors often don’t want their children to follow in their professional footsteps and few graduates from elite high schools apply to attend medical universities.
Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2055571/chinese-patient-and-friend-jailed-attacking-doctor-hospital