Nurses from a hospital in Cangzhou, Hebei province, hold placards that say 'Don't vilify doctors' at an event in 2016. (Photo/China Daily)
Medical disputes in China have significantly decreased in recent years, and the working environment for medical staff has been greatly improved, said an official from the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) on Thursday.
The number of nationwide medical disputes in 2016 dropped 6.7 percent compared with 2015, while the number of illegal cases concerning medical staff in 2016 was down 14.1 percent from 2015, said Guo Yanhong, deputy director of the Hospital Authority of the NHFPC, realizing a "dual dip" for the third consecutive year.
Accordingly, the working environment for medical work and patient treatment notably improved.
On the same day, the Supreme People's Court, China's highest judicial body, held a press conference, emphasizing that there will be no tolerance for those who assault or injure medical staff. Violent crime and revenge against medical personnel and their relatives will be severely penalized by the law.
The Supreme People's Court also announced five typical hospital-related crimes. One of the most severe cases was Lu Dekun, who hacked one doctor to death and severely injured another. He was executed on January 10 this year.
Doctor and patient disputes have always been a heated topic in China. A "bloody" October in 2013 still haunts many medical staff, when three doctors in the First People's Hospital in Wenling, Zhejiang Province were assaulted by one patient, causing the death of one doctor and badly injuring two others. It triggered a strong reaction in society.
Various departments including the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security have made joint efforts to minimize crime and maintain a sound medical system. Meanwhile, civil mediation has become the main channel for resolving disputes.
There are various causes leading to hospital-related crime, says Ma Yan, deputy chief judge of the fifth division of criminal justice at the Supreme People's Court. The fundamental solution is to implement comprehensive measures. While criminal penalties are an important way of cracking down on crime, it must not be the only option.
