Changes to medical compensation rules in Shanghai

Public hospitals in Shanghai involved in medical disputes will not be allowed to pay direct compensations to patients asking for more than 30,000 yuan ($4,721), according to a notice jointly issued by the city's justice bureau, health bureau and public security bureau.

Medical disputes involving a compensation demand over that sum will be required to be settled by medical mediation committees.

The move is part of the city's efforts to promote third-party mediation in the increasingly frequent medical disputes cases.

Officials said the third-party mediation policy will enable medical disputes to be solved more effectively, and avoid events that disturb the normal operation of hospitals.

The third-party medical mediation committees were introduced by the city on Aug 23, 2011. So far, the committee has accepted 2,272 disputes and solved 1,623 cases.

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn