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Stroke patient dies at bank after being required to appear for withdrawal

By Deng Kajia | October 17, 2013, Thursday | Online Edition

AN elderly stroke patient died at a rural credit cooperative in Guangdong Province, where he had been taken after the cooperative demanded he appear in person to withdraw money since the name on his account did not match his ID card, a local newspaper reported today.

Official of the cooperative in Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province said they compensated the victim’s family 30,000 to 40,000 yuan (US$4,920-$US6,560), not the 130,000 yuan that had been rumored, the report said.

The man identified as Deng Moufang, 69 was carried on a two-wheeled cart to the credit cooperative to withdraw 30,000 yuan on September 27. Deng had had a stroke and was unable to walk or talk.

Considering his illness, Deng’s family planned to withdraw the money for his treatment at the cooperative, instead of his having to do it.

The family was refused at the counter because Deng’s account was registered with his old ID card, on which the name has a character different from that on his newer ID card.

Deng’s son was told to get a statement from the local police station to confirm the two names referred to the same person, Deng Moufang.

However, the son was turned down again even though he had the statement once a cooperative employee learned he wanted to retrieve a large sum of money. He was told only if Deng himself came to the counter could they get the money.

Deng’s son negotiated with the employee, asking for consideration of the seriousness of the condition of his father, who was attached to an intravenous drip at home.  

The employee insisted Deng appear in person to get the money, adding that “he could pull out the needle and come over,” the report said.

Accompanied by several relatives, Deng was wheeled to the counter on a rainy day. The family finally got the money, and they demanded an apology from the employee who spoke to the son harshly.

The employee did not come to the counter and Deng died suddenly at the cooperative as the family was talking to officials, said the report.

A similar case was reported on Tuesday in which a 75-year-old patient in Xi’an, hospitalized for cancer and other illnesses, was rushed to a bank in an ambulance and carried in on a stretcher to the bank’s counter to change his ID number.

The case has stirred up a debate on the Internet. On Weibo, more than 35,000 postings were left regarding the topic. Most Weibo users criticized the bank for being impersonal, arguing that rigid enforcement of rules is not enough to meet the diverse needs of customers.

Nation


 

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