Mainland intellectuals are calling for legislation to be passed that would punish people who do not try to help a stranger in need.
This comes after a two-year-old girl was knocked down by two vehicles and ignored by more than a dozen passers-by. The case continues to spark outrage and has prompted debate over why people did not help the child.
Wang Yue was left lying in her own blood after she was ignored by 18 passers-by until Chen Xianmei, an elderly rubbish scavenger, pulled her from the road and helped find her mother a week ago in Foshan , Guangdong. The girl was taken to hospital but doctors say she has a slim chance of survival, as she suffered severe damage to her cerebral cortex and brainstem reflexes. Her pupils were dilated and the girl is on a life-support machine at Guangzhou Military District General Hospital.
Speaking outside a cramped ward yesterday, the head of the hospital's intensive care unit, Dr Su Lei, said the girl's situation had worsened since Tuesday evening. Su said doctors would do everything they could to save her life. He did not take questions from reporters. Another neuro-specialist, who declined to be identified, said the girl's heart and lung functions were deteriorating. The mother of Yueyue, as she is known to her family, appeared devastated after hearing the news and declined to comment.
Two drivers suspected of running over the girl have been arrested.
Leading Guangzhou commentators conducted a soul-searching discussion at a public forum in the city yesterday about why people were reluctant to help a dying child.
Zhu Yongping, director of a Guangzhou law firm, said the incident reflected the degradation of modern Chinese morality.
