Conflicts between hospital employees and patients are becoming more frequent and more violent. So the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security have jointly released an announcement, saying that it is illegal to attack medical staff, or to disturb the normal order in medical institutions. But erasing the root cause of the conflicts is the real issue, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

In April, a male patient stabbed two doctors in Beijing and a 17-year-old man killed a doctor in Heilongjiang province. The announcement by the two ministries aims to prevent such violent incidents and protect the safety and dignity of medical staff.

In fact, the tensions between hospitals and patients have deep roots.

On the one hand, as seeing a doctor is quite expensive and difficult for citizens nowadays, it may easily lead to conflicts between patients and doctors.

On the other hand, doctors also feel wronged as they face high-pressure work and have to earn extra income from the sales of medicine.

However, no one should resort to violence to solve the problem as it is against the law and damages the doctor-patient relationship.

We should protect the safety of doctors, but also value patients' rights and interests. Disputes between medical personnel and patients occur in all countries.

Some developed countries have established mechanisms, whereby patients can seek redress by instigating lawsuits or taking their complaints to third-party arbitration.

We can learn from these initiatives. All in all, promoting structural reform can be the basic solution.

(China Daily 05/08/2012 page9)