Beijing to further promote hospital security after medic's death

The Beijing Municipal Health Commission will further strengthen a joint response mechanism with public security organs to tackle medical disputes and incidents involving violence, according to the commission's statement released Tuesday.

The commission will promote local legislative bodies to research legislation on hospital security and urged district-level medical institutions to strengthen their security forces and ensure safety, the statement said.

It was issued after a patient's relative killed a doctor at an emergency ward. The case triggered a major public outcry when the doctor died early the following day.

Yang Wen, the doctor who worked in the emergency department at the Civil Aviation General Hospital in Beijing's Chaoyang district, was stabbed by Sun Wenbin, 55, on Dec 24 and Yang was seriously injured in the neck. Sun was detained three days later on Dec 27, according to Beijing police.

The capital's health commission strongly condemned the "extreme behavior" and "brutal acts" that the attacker had committed and expressed sincere condolences to the doctor's relatives.

China's top legislature and health commission also condemned the stabbing on Saturday, calling it a serious offense rather than a medical dispute.

China introduced a new law on Saturday, aiming to protect medical workers from violence and protect the personal safety and dignity of medical workers. The law will take effect on June 1.