Chinese doctors must have guard to see mentally ill, drunk patients: report
Aim is to protect medical staff after a spate of attacks on doctors and nurses in China, according to Chinese media report
China’s health authorities have introduced regulations stipulating that doctors must have a security guard present if seeing drunk or mentally ill patients deemed as potentially dangerous, according to a news website report.
The rule comes after a spate of attacks on medical staff working in the mainland’s hard-pressed public hospitals.
The regulations were issued by China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, the public security ministry and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the China News Service reported.
The rules state that drunk people or patients with mental problems or abnormal behaviour should only be treated by doctors under the protection of security guards.
Medical organisations and local public security departments have also been told to improve security measures to protect medical staff.
