China's Health Ministry promises reform after hospital scandals (2)

The scandals have shown that hospitals face mistrust among patients, and such a situation will impact upon treatment and even threaten lives, Deng said. The ministry will reform the medical service system to try to solve the problem, he said.

Moreover, Deng urged efforts to promote medical ethics and intensify medical quality management.

Furthermore, an independent third-party mediation system for medical disputes should be established to offer fair and impartial mediation services, promote communication between the two parties and protect the rights and interests of the two parties, Deng said.

However, Deng condemned recent violent attacks by dissatisfied patients against medical workers.

In September, a 43-year-old surgeon in Beijing Tongren Hospital was stabbed by a patient. According to local media reports, the injuries were serious but not life-threatening. The attack was believed to have been triggered by a medical dispute in which the patient alleged that the surgeon had committed malpractice during an operation.

Zhao called for more understanding from the public as there are in-built risks in medical treatments and the results might fall short of patients' expectations.

If patients have doubts, they can negotiate with the hospitals or ask health administrative authorities to solve them, Zhao said, or they can resort to court or mediation procedures.