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Urumqi surgeon: Heal the wound, and mind

By Zhao Huanxin (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-09 21:06

Urumqi: Alim Maimaiti, who has worked tirelessly to save the lives of the wounded in the July 5 riot, seemed to have a prescription for a harmonious life in the Western China region.

The 27-year-old surgeon had operated on chest wounds or stitched up scalp bruises at the Xinjiang People's Hospital for the victims of Sunday's bloody unrest that have claimed 156 lives and injured more than 1,000.

An injured man is rushed to an emergency center in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on July 5, 2009. [Xinhua]

But now he seemed to want to operate on human mind, hoping to implant senses of regret, and remove the tumor idea of "answering violence with violence" that prevailed in some communities.

Commenting on the mob of Uygur rioters who left a trail of dead and injured behind them, some on streets around the hospital on Sunday night, Alim said those people should regret for what they did.

"What would they think when they looked back and saw people falling to the ground groaning, shedding blood with head broken? Any sensible person will not move on with the brutality," he said.

Yet the rioters were not sensible but madly merciless.

Alim recalled that he was about to leave office at around 7:30 pm Sunday when he saw a bunch of people, chased by rioters, ran into the hospital, some hobbling, others with blood pouring down their head.

For a while the wounded came either by themselves or brought in by their mates or strangers; and at last, it was ambulance that ferried in victims who sprawled on the street unable to move, he said.

Related readings:  Hu: Xinjiang stability most important task  Urumqi mayor gives new briefing on latest situation  Urumqi's wounds 'may be slow' to heal  Tension remains in Urumqi after riots killed 156  Blood donations pour in after Urumqi riots  Teacher's saga in riots: ethnic unity prevails

"Imagine that on Sunday night we dealt with 250 patients, while on average, the hospital's emergency service treats only 40 to 50 patients a day!" said Alim.

Alim said that he alone stitched up wounds for 20 victims that night; his white gown was tainted red with blood.

By 2 pm on Wednesday, the Xinjiang People's Hospital, the regional capital's best that was designated to treat the victims, had admitted 367 wounded, with 41 in critical conditions, according to vice-president of the hospital Pan Liangjun..

At least 17 victims died in the hospital; and most wounds were on head, caused by hitting of bricks, knives, batons and stones and occasionally by bullet shots, Pan said.

Alim said he believed that the rioters were only the very few of the ethnic minority population in Xinjiang.

"We should never let a single rat shit spoil a whole pot of porridge," he said, stressing that the overwhelming majority of ethnic minorities are peaceful and friendly and that they should not be looked upon or treated as equal to the rioters.

The surgery said he believes in the Confucian idea of "kindness" and sticks to the faith that hatred could only unravel but not to be intensified.

The more than 1,000 people injured in the unrest may involve at least 1,000 families, which have more than 4,000 members.

It would cause catastrophic horror if the families seek to revenge, and then the retaliated again take reprisal.

In fact, some people of the Han ethnic group, carrying metal pipes and wooden clubs, took to the street to confront people of other ethnic groups on some streets in Urumqi on Tuesday.

The situation was brought under control late in the day and on Wednesday and yesterday, most streets resumed normality.

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