Efforts needed to improve doctor-patient relations

"Stop! All must stop!" This is the appeal made by Wang Dongqing about the incident of Kang Hongqian, a woman doctor at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) who was hacked to death by a patient with an ax on Nov. 29.

Wang's son Wang Hao, the trainee doctor at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, had been killed by a patient named Li Mengnan on March 23, 2012.

Where should we start to improve doctor-patient relations?

Wang's attorney Li Huijuan, a member of the Medical Risk Management Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, said that Wang's appeal should be paid special attention and what he wanted to express is that "The common enemy of doctors and patients should be sickness."

Li suggested installing security check equipment in hospitals as soon as possible. Li told the reporter that although it is unwise, it can at least play a preventive role. The final solution is to improve the doctor-patient relationship at the source, but it does not mean that currently it is not necessary to take safety measures.

Everyone needs to change

Though the personal safety of medical workers has caused wide attention after the doctor-patient tragedies in Beijing, Harbin and other places, unfortunate stories are still occurring.

An Internet user with a signature "dw1211" left the reporter a message, saying that the government, doctors, patients and even everyone living in the society should make a reflection on the frequent occurrences of such tragedies.

The Internet user said that the public are both victims and participators in these tragedies. The government can hardly absolve itself from the blame and the public also need to bear certain responsibility. The reform and opening up promoted economic development and improved people's livelihood, meanwhile breeding social injustice, intensifying social conflicts and contaminating the environment. Modern people are full of grievances. "There are far more instances than the doctor-patient conflicts and tragedies." "It is time for both the government and the public to make a profound reflection!"

After the incident of Kang Hongqian, lawyer Deng Liqiang, director of Legal Affairs Department of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, said in a notice that they can do little except appeals in the face of the constantly occurred incidents of hurting medical workers. The government, society and media must make efforts to safeguard the rights and interests of medical workers and improve the doctor-patient relationship. Deng hoped that the criminals be severely punished by law. Otherwise, "It will be another hurt to the doctor-patient relationship," Deng said.

One of Kang's colleagues Han Baojie said that the incident casted a psychological shadow difficult to eliminate. Han has been troubled by it for days and he can only appeal to the society to give doctors a safe and quiet environment and let them concentrate on the treatment of patients. "I really do not know how doctors can protect themselves," Han said.

The murderer who jumped from a building after killing doctor Kang had a fracture and was rushed to a hospital for treatment. He killed a doctor and hit the field of medicine, but was saved by the fellow doctors of the victim out of their duty of saving lives.