A 47-year-old doctor from Tianjin died after a random knife attack in an outpatient clinic. Over recent years, more and more outbursts of violence against doctors make headlines in China.

The fatal stabbing of a female military doctor in Tianjin on July 12th has shocked Chinese netizens.

The Tianjin Affiliated Hospital of The Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces, where the stabbing took place, issued a statement on Weibo about the incident (image below), saying that the 47-year-old Zhao Junyan (赵军艳) was violently attacked by three people at the outpatient clinic on Thursday morning.

Zhao died of her injuries later that day. The main suspect and two other suspects were apprehended by the police at the scene of the crime.

One witness told reporters at We Video that the attackers did not try to run away after the stabbing: “The [main] suspect was about 50 years old. He did not run away, perhaps he knew that would be futile. He did not say anything after stabbing the doctor. We called the police and had him arrested.”

The same witness also suggests that the main suspect was the husband of a patient at the clinic, although Sina News reports that it did not concern one of Zhao’s own patients.

Another person who was there when it happened told Chinese media: “When the suspect was arrested, he said that his target was not Dr. Zhao, but another doctor. Dr. Zhao was just unlucky to be the victim.”

Violence against Chinese Medical Staff

Zhao’s killing is one of many of such incidents over previous years; violence has become a more and more common occurrence in Chinese hospitals, where the so-called yinao phenomenon (医闹, ‘medical disturbance’) is a growing problem. Yinao is the organized disturbance and violence in hospitals against medical workers.

In 2012, another female doctor was axed to death by a patient in Tianjin; in 2013, a patient in Wenling fatally stabbed his doctor after he was unhappy with the results of an operation. Just last year, a male doctor in Anhui province was stabbed to death by the father of one of his patients. The list of incidents goes on, and it is extensive.

In response to the recent incident, Weibo users collectively expressed their anger and concern in the comment sections; dozens of threads on the issue received thousands of responses on Weibo this week, with people calling the brutal attack “pointless” and “outrageous.”

“If this crime doesn’t receive the death penalty, our legal system is a joke,” a commenter by the name of ‘@33daysofsilence’ wrote.

Another user wrote: “Even if this was their doctor there’s no reason to hurt her. It is tragic to see that doctors end up in dangerous situations nowadays.”

“Wouldn’t let our kids become doctors”

“My husband is a doctor and I am a nurse. But we wouldn’t let our kids become doctors. If this [violence] keeps happening, nobody will be willing to work in the healthcare industry anymore,” a user named @Jinyueyao2008 wrote.

Many Chinese face major obstacles in getting access to the healthcare they need. Doctor-patient conflicts in China partly come from the high costs and long waiting times in Chinese hospitals and clinics, triggering frustration among patients. As conflicts become more violent and receive more media attention, more people are starting to perceive the professions of doctors or nurses as a potentially hazardous.

“It is difficult and expensive to see a doctor- this leads to more conflicts between doctors and patients,” a top commenter writes on Weibo.

“There was no reason for this at all, these people must be crazy. This society is becoming more and more scary,” another person wrote.

Meanwhile, the death of Zhao Junyan, who leaves behind a son and her husband, is mourned on Weibo. Posting virtual candles, many hope that Zhao can “rest in peace.”

By Chauncey Jung

Follow @whatsonweibo

This article has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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