A viral video circulating on Chinese social media has sparked public outrage this week after revealing a shocking incident in a hospital.
The surgeon involved, part of Aier China’s hospital network, was suspended following the video showing the surgeon allegedly punching a patient multiple times during eye surgery.
The hospital admitted that the incident took place in 2019 at their facility in Guigang, a city in southwest China. The patient, an 82-year-old woman, showed intolerance to local anesthesia, leading to her moving her head and eyes repeatedly during the surgery.
As the patient only spoke a local dialect and seemed unresponsive to warnings in Mandarin, the surgeon acted roughly in what was described as an emergency situation. Local authorities noted the patient had sustained bruises on her forehead.
Following the surgery, the hospital apologized and provided 500 yuan ($70, £55) in compensation to the patient’s family. The patient’s son reported to local media outlets that his mother is now blind in her left eye, though it remains unclear if it’s due to this incident.
Despite occurring in 2019, the video only emerged this week after being shared by Dr. Ai Fen, a prominent Chinese doctor known for highlighting the initial Covid outbreak in Wuhan. Dr. Ai, involved in legal disputes with Aier China since 2021 over her own hospital experience, posted the footage on her Weibo account, amassing over two million followers.