Life returned to normal at a private hospital in Shenzhen China
Tuesday after its staff spent two days wearing helmets to defend
against possible attacks by a group of people demanding
compensation for the death of a former patient.
However, it is not yet clear whether the defensive measures were
necessary, as both police and the people involved in the dispute
deny that any violence occurred.
Zeng Xi, a spokeswoman of Shanxia Hospital in Longgang District,
said the hospital's staff had taken off their armor on Monday night
and negotiations with the group were underway.
"We have nothing new to release now," she told China
Daily yesterday afternoon.
Zeng said the hospital would search for a legal solution to the
disagreement, the website www.southcn.com reported early
yesterday.
According to the hospital's management, a group of people
attacked workers at the hospital last week after the hospital
refused to take responsibility for the death of one of the
attacker's family members. Several doctors were hit on head during
the commotion, hospital officials claimed.
The man, a migrant laborer, had been sent to the hospital with
injuries after a traffic accident in late November and recovered
smoothly. However, on the day he was to leave the hospital, he had
trouble breathing and then his heart suddenly stopped beating. All
efforts to save him failed last Tuesday.
The hospital presumed the man had died from an acute pulmonary
embolism, a condition that is nearly always fatal, and said it
should not be held responsible. Staff suggested an autopsy be
carried out, but the family refused.
According to security guards at the hospital, the man's family
led a group of nearly 100 people to the hospital, where they burned
the dead man's shoes and clothes, threw firecrackers, played the
suona horn, a Chinese traditional instrument, and even ran into the
wards.
Police and local community officials intervened. On Saturday, a
vice-chairman of the hospital signed an agreement with the family
to pay 150,000 yuan (US$19,160) in "humane aid compensation," to be
handed over before 2 PM on Monday.
However, the hospital's chairman, Yang Yushan, refused to pay
and blamed the government for trying to settle the case by forcing
the hospital to sign an agreement, according to a report by the
Guangzhou-based newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily
yesterday.
Yang said it would be unfair to the hospital because the cause
of death was unknown.
Zeng said: "If the hospital agrees to pay the 150,000 yuan, that
means we admit the death was the fault of the hospital, which would
have immeasurable impact on the hospital's future development."
However, both police and the man's family members denied that
the group had acted as violently as the hospital claimed.
Police said the people who had gathered at the hospital were
restrained. They said the people had burned the clothes and some
paper money, which is a traditional rite for the dead, but were
stopped immediately, according to a report by Southern
Metropolis Daily.
Wang Sen, a representative of the family, said the family
trusted the government would sort the situation out and would wait
patiently for their compensation. They did not visit the hospital
again after the agreement was signed.
However, Yang said he had heard that the people were planning to
"knock down the hospital" if they did not get the money in
time.
Li Zicai, an official with a local community office involved in
mediating the case, said Yang had acted irrationally by asking
hospital staff members to wear helmets.
"The vice-chairman had talked with Yang on the phone before he
signed the agreement. Without the recognition from Yang, how would
he have signed?" Li told China Daily.
He said he had heard that Yang had also offered to donate the
hospital to the country. "I don't know why he is doing all of
this," Li said.
(China Daily December 27, 2006)