Police investigate death of mental hospital patient

By Chen Qian | January 8, 2009, Thursday |

Online Edition

SHANDONG Province police began to investigate the case of a patient who was found to have been severely beaten by nurses before her death in a mental health hospital last month.

The president of the hospital and four nurses, who allegedly beat Wang Xiuying, have been taken by police for questioning, Shanghai Morning Post reported today.

Wang was sent to Laiwu Mental Health Specialty Hospital in Laiwu City on December 7. She died on December 15. Video footage from the hospital showed Wang was beaten several times between December 9 and 15.

The newspaper reported that it is a privately owned medical institution and most of its staff did not have licenses.

Only two, including its president Hou Mingjin, of five doctors had and four of its nine nurses have medical licenses. Its other three doctors have just graduated from universities and the five nurses have finished exams, but have yet to receive their certificates, the report said.

The hospital has space for 30 patients. The hospital was treating 29 patients at the time of Wang's death, the report said. The city's health bureau is investigating the qualifications of the hospital. One official with the bureau told the newspaper the number of qualified staff was obviously not enough for so many patients.

The government is trying to convince Wang's family to approve an autopsy in order to determine the exact cause of death, the newspaper said. The health bureau has sent two officials, two doctors and two nurses to work in the hospital.

Many patients had been transferred to other hospitals by their families. About 10 patients remain at the hospital, the report said.

Hou's wife told the newspaper that nurses beat Wang in self defense as the patient attacked them first.

Wang's family has filed a lawsuit against the hospital although a hearing date hasn't been set, the report said.

Nation

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

Police investigate death of mental hospital patient

Email this to your friend