The video that surfaced recently captured a Chinese doctor punching his 82-year-old patient three times in the face as he performed surgery on her eyes. This incident, which occurred in 2019, has elicited strong reactions after going viral on Chinese social media. The hospital where the incident took place is currently conducting an investigation, and the surgeon involved has been suspended, while the hospital’s CEO has been dismissed.
The hospital’s parent group, Aier China, revealed that the patient, who only spoke a local dialect and did not respond to the surgeon’s warnings given in Mandarin, was continuously moving during the operation due to local anesthesia intolerance. Consequently, the surgeon resorted to treating the patient roughly in an emergency situation, resulting in bruises on her forehead.
The patient’s son disclosed that the hospital apologized for the assault and compensated his mother with 500 yuan. However, he also mentioned that his mother is now blind in her left eye, although it remains unclear whether this blindness is directly linked to the incident.
Following the surfacing of the video, Aier China revealed that the incident was not reported to its headquarters by the hospital staff, which led to the dismissal of the facility’s CEO and the suspension of the surgeon, who also serves as the hospital dean. The decision was made due to serious violations of the group’s regulations.
The CCTV footage of the surgery was shared online by prominent Chinese doctor Ai Fen, who was part of the group of doctors that initially alerted the public to the outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and discussions on social media platforms.
The use of violence against a vulnerable patient has sparked considerable controversy and raised concerns about the treatment of elderly patients and the actions of medical professionals in emergency situations.
