Supervisory Commission to probe issues involving Dr Li

The National Supervisory Commission has decided to dispatch a team to Wuhan, Hubei province — center of the novel coronavirus outbreak — to investigate issues involving Li Wenliang, a doctor who died of the disease on Friday morning.

The investigation, approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, will be comprehensive, the commission said in a brief release on the joint website of the Central Commission of Discipline and Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

The Central Hospital of Wuhan said Li, 34, died at 2:58 am.

Li’s death triggered an outpouring of millions of comments on China’s social media platforms as well as concerns from the international community.

On Dec 30, 2019, the doctor warned in an online chat group on WeChat that he had seen a report showing positive test results of SARS for seven patients.

On Jan 3, Li and the seven others were summoned by Wuhan police for “spreading rumors on the internet”. They were reprimanded but not fined or detained, according to the police.

Li went on his normal work in the hospital until Jan 10 when he came down with a cough and fever, symptoms of the coronavirus. On Feb 1, he posted a micro blog on his weibo account, saying he was confirmed as having the infection.