CCTV report on death 'unfair', says ministry
The Ministry of Health has said it regrets a China Central Television report last week that alleged the death of a Peking University professor was the result of being treated by unsupervised medical students.
Ministry spokesman Mao Qunan said the ministry recognised and welcomed the role media scrutiny had in driving medical reform, 'but we also expect media reports to be objective and fair'.
'But as to the report on this incident, as a media spokesman, I find it most regretful that communication between both sides was in some ways not the way it should have been.'
'I hope that everyone can have some communication with us when planning future topics so that we can avoid these sorts of unnecessary mistakes,' he said.
Mao was responding to questions about allegations of unqualified medical students carrying out treatment at Peking University First Hospital without proper supervision, and the possibility that the practice had led to fatalities.
In a previous statement, the ministry ordered the Beijing health bureau to carry out an investigation into the incident. But Mao's remark yesterday hinted that the authorities were not happy with the CCTV report.
The original report by CCTV last Wednesday about the 2006 death of Peking University professor Xiong Zhuowei provoked a nationwide outcry. The hospital insisted that accusations of unlicensed doctors practising without supervision were unfounded. CCTV stood by its report.
Xiong died on January 31, 2006, a week after undergoing orthopaedic surgery. The official cause of death was a pulmonary embolism.
The controversy escalated at the end of last week as Xiong's husband, Professor Wang Jianguo, lodged an appeal for more compensation over the death.
Previous court rulings show at least two cases in which patients have died after being treated by unlicensed medical students or nursing students without proper supervision.
Mao also stated yesterday that it was a legitimate part of the teaching process for 'later stage' medical students to conduct medical and surgical procedures, providing they were supervised by properly trained medical professionals.
'Medical students are our future medical professionals and, in the later stages of their studies, need to enter into the stage of gaining experience by treating patients,' he said. 'Not only medical students, but also young medical professionals have to go through a learning process in the course of their jobs, and this is important to their development.'
But Zhuo Xiaoqin, lawyer for Xiong's relatives, said Mao had missed the key point.
'I don't think the comment made by the Health Ministry today will affect our lawsuit,' he said. 'I think the ministry is confusing the concept of 'unlicensed doctors'. Mao said 'medical students could treat patients under supervision', but he does not say anything about medical students treating patients without any supervision.'
Additional reporting by Yu Aitong
