'Sandbag father' pains China

Passers-by give money to Xia outside a subway station in Beijing on Nov 29, 2014.

A Chinese man who acted as a "human sandbag" outside a busy Beijing subway station to raise medical fees for his son has evoked both sympathy and reflection across the country.

In late November, Xia Jun, from Nanchong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, decided to ask for donations in Beijing to make up for huge medical charges needed to treat his son, Haohao, who suffers from leukemia. The 31-year-old had sold his property in Nanchong, but still failed to gather enough money to cover his son's chemotherapy.

A picture of Xia standing in front of a collection box and two solitary photos of his two-year-old, chubby-cheeked son, found its way on microblog Sina Weibo last week. Xia was seen standing quietly in front of the bustling Guomao station, one of Beijing's busiest, in the cold as commuters passed by. Words on his white T-shirt read: "Human flesh sandbag: 10 yuan (1.62 U.S. dollars) per punch."

In an increasingly well-off society, with improving social welfare, Xia's deeds touched and pained many, while prompting an outcry for help on the Internet.

"It got me tear-eyed, this is truly paternal love," read one Weibo comment.

"What's his bank card number? I would like to help," commented another.

Xia, whose son is currently being treated in a Beijing hospital, told the media that he had prepared for the worst: being hit by people and finding another way to raise money. "My baby's life is more important than my dignity," he said in a Sunday interview with CCTV, China's state broadcaster.

But in the past several days, he experienced no violence. The only "punch", he said, was from people who went over to pat him on his shoulders and asked him to stay strong.

In the ensuing days, more strangers came to donate, with the total sum eventually exceeding 680,000 yuan. Xia has since urged the public to stop donating, as there is already enough to support Guoguo's medical treatment.

Despite the bittersweet ending, many questioned China's basic social assistance system, which is still flawed in handling cases like Xia's.

Xia told Xinhua that even though a medical insurance system has been set up, about half of his son's leukemia expenses could not be reimbursed because "there are so many restrictions."

According to a report published by Red Cross Society of China, actual reimbursement for major illness in China is limited. Meanwhile, an uneven distribution of resources force many patients to seek medical help in bigger cities, further complicating reimbursement procedures.

Le Zhang, a professor with Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said the government needs to further lift restrictions for reimbursements so patients can enjoy more benefits.

Non-government organizations should ramp up their efforts in China's social assistance system, said Luo Jiaojiang, head of the Institute of Social Development Studies under Wuhan University.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, caught wind of the problem and demanded governments at local levels to establish a temporary assistance mechanism by the end of 2014, bringing more hope for families like Xia's.