China doctor suspended for punching 82-year-old patient during surgery; incident goes viral.

The incident occurred at a hospital in Guigang, China, in 2019, according to the BBC.

An elderly woman in China underwent eye surgery at a hospital where the doctor, in response to her “intolerant” behavior, punched her multiple times in the head. The 82-year-old patient was unable to understand the surgeon’s warnings during the surgery due to speaking in a local dialect.

This shocking incident took place at a hospital in Guigang, China, and was recently brought to public attention after a video of the incident was shared on Chinese social media platforms. The video, recorded on a surveillance camera, was originally posted on Weibo by Dr. Ai Fen, one of the doctors who initially alerted the public to the Covid outbreak in Wuhan, as reported by the BBC.

According to the hospital’s statement, the patient was given anesthesia for the surgery, but due to her intolerance to it, she continuously moved her head and eyeballs, failing to comprehend the doctor’s warnings in Mandarin. The hospital stated that the doctor’s rough treatment was an emergency response to the patient’s behavior, as reported by the BBC.

“During the operation, the patient experienced surgical intolerance due to local anesthesia and attempted to touch her eyes. The area around the eyes is a sterile surgical area, and any contact could potentially cause infection. The doctor’s intention was to prevent any risk,” read a translated statement, as reported by the New York Post, which mentioned that the woman sustained bruises on her forehead.

Following widespread outrage online over the doctor’s inhumane response to the elderly patient, Aier China, the parent group of the hospital, has suspended the surgeon and dismissed the hospital’s CEO. The hospital has also apologized to the elderly woman and provided her with a compensation of 500 Yuan or approximately Rs 5,800. However, the woman’s son claims that she is now blind in her left eye, although there are no medical reports linking her condition to the incident.