A portrait of Chen Zhongwe posted on social media. Photo: SCMP Pictures
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https://scmp.com/news/china/article/1942185/retired-dentist-dies-after-being-stabbed-ex-patient China
Retired dentist dies after being stabbed by ex-patient
Chen Zhongwei, 60, suffered massive blood loss from multiple stabs to his head, chest, abdomen, and arms
Hundreds of people held a memorial for slain retired dentist Chen Zhongwei in Hero’s Square in Guangzhou. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A retired dentist who was stabbed by a former patient has died from his injures according to the Guangzhou hospital treating him, in the latest example of the dangers frontline medical workers face on the mainland.
Chen Zhongwei, a 60-year-old former administration director of the department of stomatology at the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital in the capital, succumbed to his injuries following nearly two days of emergency treatment.
The tragedy sparked a public outcry, with hundreds gathering at the city’s Hero Square to mourn him on Saturday night. Doctors around the nations expressed their sympathies on the Chinese Medical Doctor’s Liaison website. They blamed the mainland’s health care system for turning frontline medical staff into the scapegoats of a broken system.
Chen was attacked at his home on Thursday and suffered massive blood loss from multiple stabs to his head, chest, abdomen, and arms, according to police in Yuexiu district. The assailant then jumped from Chen’s balcony, killing himself, it said. The hospital said the attacker was a man who received dental surgery from Chen 25 years ago and became distraught when he recently discovered his teeth were discoloured. He had a history of mental illness, according to the hospital.
More than 100 doctors attended the hospital’s memorial ceremony, including several officials from the provincial government and medical authorities.
The memorial ceremony for Chen Zhongwei at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital. Photo: SCMP Pictures
An unidentified doctor told the Guangzhou-based New Express the suspect visited Chen at his home a week ago and asked for compensation. He reported the matter to the police and the suspect was placed under psychiatric care. The circumstances of his release were not immediately clear.
Doctors and nurses have frequently been targeted by patients or their relatives who take out their frustration over long lines, short consultations and pricey procedures on front line staff
In March, authorities released a directive pledging to establish a police mechanism for hospitals.