University students in China help delivery man pay for medical bills for broken leg after work accident and ‘drag’ him to hospital for urgent surgery
- Food delivery man tries to avoid 2 pedestrians, slams into guardrail, breaking his leg
- He initially baulks at paying US$1,400 deposit fee, saying he would accept the consequences
A group of Chinese students in Shanghai crowdfunded a 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) medical deposit for a delivery driver who fractured his femur but declined hospitalisation because he could not afford to pay the bill.
The students eventually “dragged” the man to hospital, where he was able to undergo surgery to insert several steel pins into the injured area.
The accident happened on November 12 when the driver, Xiang Jianju, attempted to dodge two pedestrians while riding his electric bike. Xiang lost control of the bike and crashed into a guardrail, breaking his leg.
The accident quickly drew the attention and help of nearby Fudan University students, who offered their coats to cover his injured legs and accompanied him to the hospital.
When he was diagnosed with a displaced fracture of his left femur, Xiang refused further treatment when he learned about the 10,000-yuan deposit. He signed the refusal of care paperwork and accepted all consequences of leaving the injury untreated. He then returned to his home.
That evening, he borrowed money from a friend and used a packet of iced lemon tea as an ice pack to relieve the pain.
His predicament soon drew the attention of a group of empathetic students from the university, along with several members of the community, who began their plan to help Xiang.
They discovered that Xiang was ineligible for most social assistance programmes due to his “non-critical” condition and lack of Shanghai housing registration.
With limited options available, the students encouraged Xiang to initiate a crowdfunding campaign. The campaign was finally launched on the evening of November 15 and quickly resonated with the public, reaching its goal of 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) within three hours.
The students then immediately “dragged” Xiang to hospital.
A volunteer, named Chen Zheng, had to prepay 5,000 yuan (US$700) to secure Xiang’s admission because of an administration delay in accessing the crowdfunded money.
To further aid in the compensation claim, two students, Wang Ling, and Liu Yan, made two trips to the local police department to affirm that the pedestrians were at fault and Xiang was not responsible for the accident.
On the evening of November 20, Xiang finally underwent surgery. The doctors successfully inserted several steel pins into the fracture site in his femur, reconnecting the bone.
Xiang’s story has sparked sympathy for delivery riders and stirred calls for social security for lower-income groups in China.
“Life is too hard for the underprivileged,” said one commenter.
Another added: “Providing a social security net for honest workers is an urgent need.”
A third remarked: “We hope the government can improve labour protection measures.”
