Mental Protest Goes Before Chinese Health Ministry

In China, petitiones continue to take their grievences to Beijing. Recently over 300 petitioners went to the Ministry of Health to tell authorities they were concerned over the lack of medical protection they received in their local areas. But instead of having their concerns addressed, many petitioners were arrested. Those that escaped had this story to tell.

Lan Wu went to Beijings Ministry of Health along with hundreds of other petitioners to report that patients' concerns are often not listened to by local hospitals. She and others said they had no medical protection and that it was local corruption that was to blame.

[Lan Wu, Petitioner]: (quote1, female) "Today many people went there. Why are there so many wronged people? Because of corruption. Dongdong Sun said that 99% of petitioners were mentally ill. But who is really guilty?"

Lan Wu said she saw police arresting petitioners. According to witness accounts, many petitioners were detained in Majialou.

Ms Mu is a petitioner from Shandong. Shes a victim of a chemical factory explosion and couldn't get any medical treatment for her ailments. She claims that the government has been blocking news of the incident. Left without a choice, she went to Beijing to petition.

[Ms Mu, Shandong Resident]: (quote2, female)
"The explosion happened on September 22, 2008. It wounded 2,000 people in my factory. Our family of three had no access to medical treatment and the government didnt care about us. News of the people who died in the explosion has been completely blocked. The poisonous gas that escaped was very bad. We were poisoned and complained about it, but nobody took on our case."

Guihua Xing's mother was treated with the wrong medicine but the hospital refused to admit fault.

[Guihua Xing, Petitioner] (quote3, female--I CUT END OF QUOTE):
"We found that the medicine was not right. Then we moved her out of the hospital and transferred her to another big hospital."

Hubei resident Mr. Ying has been petitioning for three years, but to no avail.

[Mr. Ying, Hubei Resident]: (quote4, male)
"People were constantly detained in Wuhan. One of my acquaintances who was petitioning was sent to the mental hospital for detention. They injected him with the medicine. I, myself, have been detained five times and have been forced to take drugs. They hit me and forced me not to petition again."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• ntdtv
• china news
• protest
• Beijing University
• human rights abuse
• petition
• mental disorder
• Chinese Health Ministry

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