Chinese doctor’s murder overshadows new law to improve public health care
- Fatal stabbing in Beijing hospital was latest in string of attacks on medical staff by patients or their families
- New law is designed to tackle many of the problems blamed for fuelling patient anger, by improving basic health care services and facilities
China’s legislature has passed a law designed to improve the country’s basic health care services amid an ongoing public outcry over the murder of a doctor.
The fatal stabbing was the latest in a string of attacks on medical staff by angry patients and their relatives, with tensions being fuelled by a lack of resources and limited services at many medical facilities.
In the latest incident, the doctor Yang Wen was stabbed in the neck on Christmas Eve following a row with the relatives of a 95-year-old stroke victim at the Civil Aviation General Hospital in Beijing. She died the following day.
State television reported that doctors had said the patient’s family had dismissed repeated suggestions that the woman should undergo additional checks after she suffered a stroke.
But they became angry when the patient’s condition continued to deteriorate and questioned if she was being treated properly.