Patients ought to reflect on medical fraternity's sacrifice

Tao Yong, an ophthalmologist at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, and three of his colleagues, were injured when a former patient attacked them with a knife on Jan 20.

After two months of treatment, Tao, who had suffered hand and head injuries, appeared on an online medical service website's livestreaming platform on Saturday sharing his thoughts on the incident.

Tao thanked his colleagues, friends, patients and people from all walks of life who showed their concern, saying people's care and encouragement meant a lot to him in the difficult phase following his injury. He said the patients' experiences always inspired him to be a good doctor. Even after being assaulted by a former patient, Tao said he wants to return to work again.

Talking about tensions between doctors and patients, he said distrust is a problem that is seriously undermining the medical profession. However, despite his experience, he encouraged youngsters to pursue a career in medicine to heal wounds and help the dying.

Tao's recovery is good news not only for his patients but also society as a whole, especially at a time when countless medical workers are on the front line, risking their lives to save patients from the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The spirit of Tao and the countless other medical workers who are fighting the novel coronavirus outbreak is inspiring and praiseworthy and their fight against the virus should remind us to be grateful to them and make all efforts to guarantee their legal rights and interests.

The authorities should take active measures to prevent patients from assaulting medical workers by giving deterrent punishments to such assailants, in order to improve the relationship between medical workers and patients.

- WANG YIQING, CHINA DAILY