A national doctor association has set up a fund to help doctors assaulted by patients, Beijing Times reported on Monday.

The Chinese Medical Doctor Association will invest 10 million yuan ($1.63 million) into the fund every year for the next five years. Doctors assaulted by patients and who are financially challenged can apply for grants from the fund to support themselves in medical treatment and living expenses and to hire lawyers to sue the assaulter.

They can apply for at most 30,000 yuan to hire lawyers and at most 50,000 yuan to support their daily life.

Deng Liqiang, director of the legal affairs department of the association, said the fund targets doctors in hospitals in grassroots communities and hospitals in underdeveloped areas.

"Doctors in developed cities may get more public attention when they are assaulted, but they are not those most urgently in need of this financial support. If the hospital is able to pay for it (compensation for the doctor assaulted and cost to file a lawsuit), the fund won't provide support," he said.

The fund will also support training programs for doctors to enhance their communication skills to avoid conflicts with patients.