A 47-year-old doctor from Tianjin died after a random knife attack in an outpatient clinic. Over recent years, more and more outbursts of violence against doctors make headlines in China.
The fatal stabbing of a female military doctor in Tianjin on July 12th has shocked Chinese netizens.
The Tianjin Affiliated Hospital of The Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces, where the stabbing took place, issued a statement on Weibo about the incident (image below), saying that the 47-year-old Zhao Junyan (赵军艳) was violently attacked by three people at the outpatient clinic on Thursday morning.
Zhao died of her injuries later that day. The main suspect and two other suspects were apprehended by the police at the scene of the crime.
One witness told reporters at We Video that the attackers did not try to run away after the stabbing: “The [main] suspect was about 50 years old. He did not run away, perhaps he knew that would be futile. He did not say anything after stabbing the doctor. We called the police and had him arrested.”
The same witness also suggests that the main suspect was the husband of a patient at the clinic, although Sina Newsreports that it did not concern one of Zhao’s own patients.
Another person who was there when it happened told Chinese media: “When the suspect was arrested, he said that his target was not Dr. Zhao, but another doctor. Dr. Zhao was just unlucky to be the victim.”
Violence against Chinese Medical Staff
Zhao’s killing is one of many of such incidents over previous years; violence has become a more and more common occurrence in Chinese hospitals, where the so-called yinao phenomenon (医闹, ‘medical disturbance’) is a growing problem. Yinao is the organized disturbance and violence in hospitals against medical workers.
In 2012, another female doctor was axed to death by a patient in Tianjin; in 2013, a patient in Wenling fatally stabbed his doctor after he was unhappy with the results of an operation. Just last year, a male doctor in Anhui province was stabbed to death by the father of one of his patients. The list of incidents goes on, and it is extensive.
In response to the recent incident, Weibo users collectively expressed their anger and concern in the comment sections; dozens of threads on the issue received thousands of responses on Weibo this week, with people calling the brutal attack “pointless” and “outrageous.”
“If this crime doesn’t receive the death penalty, our legal system is a joke,” a commenter by the name of ‘@33daysofsilence’ wrote.
Another user wrote: “Even if this was their doctor there’s no reason to hurt her. It is tragic to see that doctors end up in dangerous situations nowadays.”
“Wouldn’t let our kids become doctors”
“My husband is a doctor and I am a nurse. But we wouldn’t let our kids become doctors. If this [violence] keeps happening, nobody will be willing to work in the healthcare industry anymore,” a user named @Jinyueyao2008 wrote.
Many Chinese face major obstacles in getting access to the healthcare they need. Doctor-patient conflicts in China partly come from the high costs and long waiting times in Chinese hospitals and clinics, triggering frustration among patients. As conflicts become more violent and receive more media attention, more people are starting to perceive the professions of doctors or nurses as a potentially hazardous.
“It is difficult and expensive to see a doctor- this leads to more conflicts between doctors and patients,” a top commenter writes on Weibo.
“There was no reason for this at all, these people must be crazy. This society is becoming more and more scary,” another person wrote.
Meanwhile, the death of Zhao Junyan, who leaves behind a son and her husband, is mourned on Weibo. Posting virtual candles, many hope that Zhao can “rest in peace.”
Chauncey Jung is a China internet specialist who who previously worked for various Chinese internet companies in Beijing. Jung completed his BA and MA education in Canada (Univ. of Toronto & Queen's), and has a strong interest in Chinese trends, technology, economic developments and social issues.
Cancer Diagnoses in Young Doctors at Same Lab: About the Zhongshan Hospital Controversy
Within a short time frame, three Chinese young doctors received cancer diagnoses after working in the same laboratory at the Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital.
Several medical workers who all worked at the same renowned oncology lab in Guangzhou recently were diagnosed with cancer. Although there are many concerns about whether or not their cancer is related to their working environment, the primary source of public outrage revolves around the handling of the controversy by the affiliated hospital.
Over the past week, a case of three young doctors working in the same laboratory at a renowned Guangzhou hospital being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer has repeatedly become a trending topic on Weibo and beyond.
The hospital involved is the Sun Yat-Sen University’s Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital (中山大学孙逸仙纪念医院) – also known as the Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital (中山二院). Founded in 1835, the hospital is known for pioneering in western medical practice. It is also well-known for its cancer treatments and education.
The three medical workers, two breast surgeons and one trainee doctor, all developed cancer just before or in 2023 after working at the Breast Cancer Center (乳腺肿瘤中心实验室). The issue first became a big topic of discussion around the night of November 6 and on November 7, when netizens’ posts started circulating on social media about how several people connected to the oncology lab got diagnosed with cancer.
One of the claims made is that one of the young doctors was expelled from the research team’s WeChat group by the team leader Dr. Su Shicheng (苏士成) upon revealing her cancer diagnosis. This assertion was later confirmed to reporters by the woman’s sister, Lele (乐乐). The staff member involved, Huang Mei (黄敏), is battling pancreatic cancer and she is currently not doing well.
The other researchers, all approximately 30 years old, are suffering from synovial sarcoma and breast cancer.
The topic soon gained traction as people assumed the lab safety at the Zhongshan Hospital must be blamed for the cancer cases. When the research center in question suddenly got dismantled on November 8, the discussions intensified as social media users speculated that the hospital was trying to get rid of evidence.
The hospital denied that the medical workers had contracted cancer due to exposure in the lab environment. Staff members later claimed that the alleged dismantling of the lab on November 8 was already scheduled as part of the fire department’s orders, emphasizing that it was unrelated to the ongoing controversy.
Photos of the lab getting dismantled shared on Weibo.
On November 9, the China Association for Science and Technology (中国科学技术协会) posted on their official social media account, calling for a thorough and professional investigation into the case to uncover the truth.
Online Anger and Suspicions
Chinese political commentator Hu Xijin (@胡锡进) also posted a lengthy column about the issue on his social media. In his post, Hu critiqued the manner in which Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital handled the controversy. Although he also stressed that he did not necessarily believe that the renowned hospital purposely crossed scientific ethics that might have increased cancer risks for students working in the laboratory-if their cancer is indeed related to their working environment,- he argued that the hospital should handle this case with greater transparency.
According to the Shanghai Morning Post (@新闻晨报), the laboratory was first opened in 2009 and has since trained more than 200 students. The three cancer patients have only started working at the laboratory in recent years.
Various international studies (e.g. here, here, here) have previously indicated that research in biomedical laboratories might involve an increased risk of certain types of cancer among employees.
While some Weibo commenters voice concerns about safety protocols at the hospital lab, the prevailing online anger is more about how the hospital is handling the situation. There is a sense that those involved are being silenced, that evidence is being tampered with, and that there is a special relationship between the lab team leader, Dr. Su Shicheng, and the hospital director, Song Erwei (宋尔卫).
Adding to the suspicions, Dr. Su not only works directly under Song as a deputy director of the Breast Cancer Center but has also co-authored an academic essay with Song’s son, Song Shijian (宋世键). Some people believe they are all covering for each other.
“If they [the hospital] finally holds a press conference, they’d better invite Ms. Huang who was kicked out of the WeChat group!” some commenters on Weibo wrote.
Meanwhile, there is an increased media focus in China on the lab safety protocols at other hospitals as well. With Chinese media outlets interviewing medical students from other institutions, it has come to light that many say they have never actually received formal training regarding lab safety rules (#5位医学生眼中的实验室#, #多数受访学生称未接受实验室安全培训#).
As attention on the Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital case intensifies from various fronts, including the public, media, and medical associations, the pressure on the hospital is mounting to provide a clear and transparent response to the situation.
While many might wish for this case to fade away, this storm is not going to blow over anytime soon. Beyond the public’s need for answers, it is the medical workers who are struggling with their illness and navigating through this whirlwind who especially deserve the clarity they need.
“Let’s build up the pressure,” some netizens suggest, trying to keep the case trending.
“I’m so disappointed,” another Weibo user wrote: “I was determined to study medicine since senior high school, but the older I get the more I realize the ugly face behind the healthcare system.”
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Avideo that has circulated on Chinese social media since October 19 shows how an alleged worker at a Tsingtao Beer factory climbs over a wall at the raw material production site and starts to urinate.
The incident reportedly occurred at the Tsingtao Beer Factory No. 3, a subsidiary of the Tsingtao Brewing Company, located in Qingdao, Shandong.
This is the viral video showing how an alleged worker at the Tsingtao Beer Factory 3 climbs over a wall at the raw material production site and starts to urinate. Many people think it's an undercover operation by a rivaling company: one person peed, another leaked the video? 🍻🤢 pic.twitter.com/eJcYljo2aQ
After the video went viral, the Tsingtao Brewery Company issued a statement that they took the incident very seriously and immediately report it to the authorities, who have started an investigation into the case. Meanwhile, the specific batch in production has been halted and shut off.
The incident has caused concern among consumers, and some commenters on social media wonder if this was the first time something like this has happened. “How do we know this hasn’t happened many times before?”
Others speculate about what might have motivated the man to urinate at the production site. There are those who believe that the man is part of an undercover operation orchestrated by a rivaling company, aimed at discrediting Tsingtao. It’s even suggested that there were two ‘moles’ leaking in this incident: one doing the urinating, and the other doing the video ‘leak.’
Meanwhile, there are voices who are critical of Tsingtao, suggesting that the renowned beer brand has not effectively addressed the ‘pee gate’ scandal. It remains uncertain how this incident will impact the brand, but some netizens are already expressing reservations about ordering a Tsingtao beer as a result.
But there are also those who joke about the “pissing incident,” wondering if Tsingtao Beer might soon launch a special “urine flavored beer.”
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