The woman surnamed Yang was 34 when she was admitted to Peking University Third Hospital on Dec. 28 due to hypertension. (Photo : Bloomberg)
600,000 Chinese doctors affixed their names in a petition in an effort to end the attacks on medical workers, due to an accident where a patient inflicted injuries on a physician in Guangdong Province.
According to authorities, the suspect, who is known as Liao, took responsibility for the attack on Ou Lizhi, a doctor from Longmen County People's Hospital.
As per police investigation, Liao visited the office for doctors at the hospital, looking for Dr. Ou to inquire about his headaches.
The doctor told him to go to the outpatient department as she was not the one on duty at the clinic for that day.
After he got agitated, he pulled out a knife and injured the doctor on her right hand and left arm before being restrained.
According to the suspect, he was under the belief that the medicine prescribed by Ou was the reason behind his chronic headaches.
Incidents such as this have caused public outrage and necessitated the installation of surveillance cameras and police alarm equipment in hospitals.
According to Tian Wuhan, director of the Guangdong Medical Association, numerous hospital-related violence have driven a wedge between doctors and patients.
Nationwide, 12 cases of violence against medical workers occurred in the month of June alone.
Aside from causing injuries and psychological trauma, the events have severely strained the relationship between the two parties, Tian said.
A poll published in May by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association showed that 13 percent of 12,600 shared that they had been physically harmed by their patients last year.
Almost 60 percent admitted to being verbally abused and, overall, doctors felt that they were not given the respect and security that they deserve.
