There is no question that health care in the United States has its problems.  Costs have risen drastically and access to — and quality of — medical care can be uneven, depending on where you live.

Contributing to the high cost of medicine is the prevalence of lawsuits against medical providers.  Doctors and other providers must be covered by robust malpractice insurance to protect themselves from lawsuits — both frivolous and meritorious.

But in China, it is not lawsuits from which doctors and other providers need protection, but rather from violent attacks by relatives of patients receiving poor care.

It has gotten so bad that the Ministry of Public Security, China’s police force, has issued security guidelines that suggest at least 1 guard per 20 patient beds, or no less than 3% of medical staff.  The guidelines also call for alarm buttons, security doors, weapon detection equipment, camera surveillance, and foot patrols in hospitals.

In 2012, there were an average of 27.3 assaults on doctors in China!

Some experts say assault is so prevalent because doctors often accept bribe money in order to cure a patient.  When a patient fails to recover, the family is angry at the loss of both life and money.  The anger spills over into violence.

Virginia injury lawyer Doug Landau is shocked that this could occur.  “And U.S. doctors are upset about malpractice suits and insurance?  Try practicing medicine in China!” says Doug.  “In Communist China, BOTH the patient AND the doctor’s lives may be on the line.”