Help guide falls on skeptical ears
By Xu Chi and Cai Wenjun |
September 8, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A MINISTRY of Health guide telling people how to help elderly residents if they fall in the street has stirred controversy with people arguing that it is a lack of trust that prevents them helping, not a lack of medical knowledge.
The 41-page guide, available to download from the ministry's website, advises people who see old people fall "not to help them up in a hurry, but to observe and inquire about their health conditions first and then act accordingly."
The guide says that in many cases their help could lead to more serious problems from elderly people suffering bone fractures, strokes or heart disease.
Accidental falls have become the main cause of deaths of people over the age of 65 in China, with more than 40 million elderly people falling down at least once a year, the guide says.
It advises dialing 120 for medical help if people see someone on the ground unconscious. And if the person is conscious, it says they should ask why and how they had fallen before taking any action.
But there was derision online with posts saying the guide could only be effective if people were willing to lend a helping hand in the first place.
They said the government should focus on re-establishing social trust as the top priority after a series of cases across the country where people trying to help were instead wrongly accused of causing the accident. Some old people even tried to sue people who rushed to their aid.
In Nanjing in 2006, Peng Yu helped an old woman up after she fell near a bus stop, but she then accused Peng of pushing her down. A court ruled in her favor and Peng was ordered to pay 40,000 yuan (US$6,255) compensation.
A rash of similar cases followed, forcing more and more people to just stand watching when elderly people fell, in case they got into trouble themselves.
"What we need is not a guide on how to help old people when they fall, but a guide on how to prove yourself innocent when helping them up," said Shanghai resident Ni Liming.
Meanwhile, there were complaints that the guide was too complicated and professional for ordinary people.
"Maybe we have to carry the guide in our pockets every day so when we meet some old people lying on the ground, we can take it out and read carefully to act in right ways," said another Shanghai resident, Xu Boshi. "I hope the reading won't take too long before it becomes too late to save the old person."
Dr Wang Guisong, a neurosurgeon at Shanghai's Renji Hospital, expressed similar concerns. "There are too many clauses requiring a passer-by to check an elderly person who falls. It is just like a health checkup on the scene," Wang said. "Only medical professionals can fully follow the guidance."
Officials from Shanghai Emergency Medical Center said the guide was mainly for health professionals, but the general public could also learn some basic information to be able to help old people more effectively.
The center said about 60 percent of patients using the ambulance service were over 60 and falls were a leading cause.
The center's Dr Li Minghua said: "For those without a medical background, we suggest people call an ambulance and then help the person lie on one side to prevent them from choking."
The 41-page guide, available to download from the ministry's website, advises people who see old people fall "not to help them up in a hurry, but to observe and inquire about their health conditions first and then act accordingly."
The guide says that in many cases their help could lead to more serious problems from elderly people suffering bone fractures, strokes or heart disease.
Accidental falls have become the main cause of deaths of people over the age of 65 in China, with more than 40 million elderly people falling down at least once a year, the guide says.
It advises dialing 120 for medical help if people see someone on the ground unconscious. And if the person is conscious, it says they should ask why and how they had fallen before taking any action.
But there was derision online with posts saying the guide could only be effective if people were willing to lend a helping hand in the first place.
They said the government should focus on re-establishing social trust as the top priority after a series of cases across the country where people trying to help were instead wrongly accused of causing the accident. Some old people even tried to sue people who rushed to their aid.
In Nanjing in 2006, Peng Yu helped an old woman up after she fell near a bus stop, but she then accused Peng of pushing her down. A court ruled in her favor and Peng was ordered to pay 40,000 yuan (US$6,255) compensation.
A rash of similar cases followed, forcing more and more people to just stand watching when elderly people fell, in case they got into trouble themselves.
"What we need is not a guide on how to help old people when they fall, but a guide on how to prove yourself innocent when helping them up," said Shanghai resident Ni Liming.
Meanwhile, there were complaints that the guide was too complicated and professional for ordinary people.
"Maybe we have to carry the guide in our pockets every day so when we meet some old people lying on the ground, we can take it out and read carefully to act in right ways," said another Shanghai resident, Xu Boshi. "I hope the reading won't take too long before it becomes too late to save the old person."
Dr Wang Guisong, a neurosurgeon at Shanghai's Renji Hospital, expressed similar concerns. "There are too many clauses requiring a passer-by to check an elderly person who falls. It is just like a health checkup on the scene," Wang said. "Only medical professionals can fully follow the guidance."
Officials from Shanghai Emergency Medical Center said the guide was mainly for health professionals, but the general public could also learn some basic information to be able to help old people more effectively.
The center said about 60 percent of patients using the ambulance service were over 60 and falls were a leading cause.
The center's Dr Li Minghua said: "For those without a medical background, we suggest people call an ambulance and then help the person lie on one side to prevent them from choking."
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