Zero tolerance to violence against doctors: China Daily editorial

We feel speechless with rage at the cruelty and brutality of a man who hacked a doctor to death on Dec 24 in a hospital in Beijing simply because he suspected that the doctor prescribed the wrong medicine for his 95-year-old mother.

When many try to establish a connection between the case and the undesirable relationship between medical workers and patients, it is indeed necessary to make it clear that this case has nothing to do with this relationship. It is a criminal case, in which the murderer's distorted understanding of how his 95-year-old bed-ridden mother should be treated has driven him to extremes.

Some have claimed that a law on the promotion of the medical system and healthcare, which was adopted by the National People's Congress Standing Committee on Saturday, will extend protection to medical workers, and the law is indeed necessary for the protection of the lawful rights and interests of medical workers. But it is too naïve to claim the law will effectively protect medical workers from being verbally and physically abused simply because the law stipulates that no individuals or organizations are allowed to put medical workers' personal safety in harm's way and violate their personal dignity.

When some are talking about how security measures should be strengthened to protect doctors or nurses from being physically attacked, we would say that it is too costly to hire bodyguards for doctors. How many security guards are enough? And even with many security guards, such extreme cases of violence will not necessarily be averted.

It is indeed necessary for medical workers to brainstorm on such extreme incidences and work out some specific ways to identify those patients or their relatives who may possibly vent their dissatisfaction with medical workers in an extreme manner. If such people could be identified in advance, relevant departments could intervene to preempt any serious altercation.

Of course, a desirable environment should be established for the development of a harmonious relationship between medical workers and patients.

Among other things, it is necessary to prevent the spreading of malicious rumors on social media about how some medical workers are exploiting patients by prescribing them expensive medicines or making them receive unnecessary medical checks. Such rumors erode the trust between medical workers and patients, and contribute to the deterioration of relations between the two parties.

In addition, education is necessary for people to have correct knowledge and understanding about health and death so that the majority of people will come to realize that it is a fact of life that some diseases are incurable. Then they will come to know that medical workers should be held in reverence as long as they have done their best to contribute to the health of their patients and strived their utmost to save lives.