Outrage as China hospital charges patient fee for sitting down on a chair while receiving an intravenous infusion as health authority says fee is in line with regulations
Addition for clarification: The "South China Morning Post"(SCMP) is a state-controlled Chinese media outlet. In this article, however, it criticizes the Chinese health care system and even cites ordinary citizens' posts which don't appear to be censored, a rare move in China. This is why the article is linked here. In general, however, one should be very careful using this source.
A hospital in China has stoked controversy by charging a patient for the use of a chair they were sitting on while receiving an intravenous infusion.
On mainland social media at the end of June, a person released a billing statement by the public-funded Ningxia Children’s Hospital, which showed that five yuan (70 US cents) had been charged for a seat, Zonglan Video reported.
It is not clear how old the patient was, or what they were being treated for, but the bill showed the medication contained antibiotics.
An official at the hospital in Yinchuan in Ningxia Hui autonomous region, northwestern China, said the fee was for two days’ use of a chair by the patient who was sitting on it while receiving an infusion. [...] The controversial chair fee has become the subject of heated discussions on mainland social media, after being viewed 5 million times on Douyin alone.
“Hospitals are so commercial. I feel speechless about this fee,” one online observer said.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of this kind of cost in a hospital. Is there anything left that they do not charge fees for?” said another person.
“Are ordinary people now expected to bring their own chair to see doctors from now on,” a third said.
Please, Tankies, keep telling me how China is a communist country.
Look, if Americans could get this outraged over an 70 extra cents on a medical bill, we'd be a lot better off.
But in America, they'd bill us an extra $2,000 for the same, and we'd just add it to our debts and carry on without even burning down an insurance company like we should be doing.
Would you argue that medical bills would exist at all in a communist country? Because that was my point.
Agreed. I wonder how many of them have actually been to China. I have, and it's almost comically un-communist. Most western democracies have far more robust social supports, and I'd even say it's easier to have a worker-owned business in the west than in China.
This medical bill is $30 USD. How the fuck is this capitalist???
For anyone mad at this...in the US the don't just charge you .70 for a chair they charge you hundreds or thousands for the whole room.
Be more honest. You look like a fool.
Cool. You know how much a medical bill is in Canada?
$0 USD. Also $0 CAD. Also 0 Yuan.
I'm not sure why you think I'm mad about this. I'm really not the one who appears to be angry here.
The real question is how much the Canadians charge for hospital parking
Rent seekers... Jfc
My copay is $30 USD.