Father asks for punches, receives sympathetic pats

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

A picture of Xia Jun, from Nanchong, Sichuan province, that shows him standing in front of a collection box, along with two photos of his 2-year-old, chubby-cheeked son, found their way onto 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 punching bag: 10 yuan ($1.60) per punch."

In late November, Xia 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.

Xia's efforts touched and pained many, while prompting an outcry for help on the Internet.

"It got me teary-eyed. This is truly paternal love," read one online comment.

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

Xia, whose son is 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.

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 eventually exceeding 680,000 yuan ($108,000). 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 critics say is 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 by the Red Cross Society of China, reimbursement for major illness in China is limited. Meanwhile, an uneven distribution of resources forces many patients to seek medical help in bigger cities, further complicating reimbursement procedures.

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

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

The State Council has required local governments to establish a temporary assistance mechanism by the end of the year.