A Chinese doctor punched his 82-year-old patient in the face three times while performing surgery on her eyes, shocking video has shown.
Authorities at the hospital are investigating the incident, while the facility’s parent group suspended the surgeon and dismissed the CEO of the hospital.
While the incident happened in 2019, the footage went viral on Chinese social media this week, sparking outrage online.
It appears to show the surgeon punching the woman in the face, with the hospital group saying this was because the patient wouldn’t stop moving during surgery.
The hospital’s parent group, Aier China, said the incident took place in its hospital in Guigang, a southwestern Chinese city, 300 miles west from Hong Kong.
A Chinese doctor (seen right) punched his 82-year-old patient in the face three times while performing surgery on her eyes, shocking video has shown
It said the patient was an 82-year-old woman who ‘during the surgery, due to local anaesthesia […] had intolerance,’ the BBC reported.
The statement said she moved her head an eyeballs multiple times.
Because the patient only spoke a local dialect and did not appear to respond to the surgeon’s warnings, given in Mandarin, the doctor ‘treated the patient roughly in an emergency situation,’ the statement added.
The woman suffered bruises on her forehead due to the attack, authorities said.
Management at the Guigang hospital apologised for the incident and paid 500 yuan (around £55) in compensation to the patient, according to her son.
The man told local news outlets that his mother is now blind in her left eye, although it was not clear if this was due to the incident or for another reason.
Aier China said hospital staff failed to report the incident to its headquarters.
On Thursday, the parent company said it had dismissed the CEO of the facility and had suspended the surgeon – who is also the hospital dean.
Authorities at the hospital are investigating the incident, while the facility’s parent group suspended the surgeon (seen top-right) and dismissed the CEO of the hospital
The video appears to show the surgeon punching the woman in the face, with the hospital group saying this was because the patient wouldn’t stop moving during surgery
This decision was taken due to ‘serious violations of the group’s regulations’, it said.
Although the shocking incident occurred in December 2019, in only hit headlines in China this week after footage of the incident went viral.
The video, recorded on a camera overlooking the patient, shows the surgeon in green scrubs as he operates on her, peering through a surgical microscope.
After ten seconds or so, the surgeon suddenly lashes out. He slams his fist down into the patients face once, and the less aggressively twice more.Â
The sheets covering the woman suddenly lurch up as she reacts to being hit.
Another medical worker, likely an assistant, rushes to the surgeons aid, seemingly unaware what caused the patient to suddenly shift under the sheets.
Prominent Chinese doctor, Ai Fen, shared CCTV footage of the surgery online, causing it to go viral on China’s closely-watched social media platform Weibo.
Dr Ai was among a group of doctors who first alerted the public to the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan, according to the BBC.
The video, recorded on a camera overlooking the patient, shows the surgeon in green scrubs as he operates on her, peering through a surgical microscope
She has more than two million followers on Weibo.
The doctor has also been embroiled in legal disputes with Aier China.
In 2021, she went for her own operation at one of the group’s hospital, which she said left her nearly blind in one eye.
The company has denied the allegation, the BBC reported.
