Tieying Hospital is the first and only hospital dealing specifically with domestic violence in China, however, now it finds itself in difficulties. About 50 percent of the women patients can't afford their medical fees. Sometimes the doctors not only have to pay medical fees for these patients themselves, but have to help them find jobs. Some violent husbands believe that doctors interfere with their family matters if doctors help the wives. These angry husbands even sometimes go after the doctors. The problem highlights the gaps in government healthcare expenditure.
Hospital abides big economic pressure
Tieying Hospital has been a focus of the media since it was opened three years ago. The hospital acts also as a shelter for Beijing's victims of domestic violence. Some women victims from Yunnan, Sichuan and Gansu provinces turn to the hospital.
Relevant statistics show that "economic sanctions" is the fourth domestic violence besides physical, psychological and sexual violence.
According to Ms. Cai Xiaomei from Tieying Hospital, the hospital has rescued more than 300 female victims. Because of "economic sanctions" from violent husbands, over half of female victims pay little or nothing toward medical fees. The hospital is as a result under huge financial pressure.
Most women victims wish the hospital staff not only provide medical treatment, but also provide legal aid, even to help them find new jobs and new places to live. Doctors sometimes give their own money to these victims, but can't provide more. Many of the victims will often go back to their husbands for economic reasons, so domestic violence just never ends in their families.
Medical records provide evidence in court
In Tieying Hospital doctors use a different kind of medical record with green wording. Both sides of the medical records are printed with pictures of the human body. Doctors mark the locations of injuries on the pictures. Doctors also write patients' injury history, the way the harm was caused, the patients' situation and safety evaluation, and the help that doctors can provide patients with in the medical records. Importantly, the situation of the domestic violence abuser should be written on the back of the medical record.
According to statistics from the All-China Women's Federation, about 90 percent of domestic violence cases can't be affirmed due to a lack of evidence. Domestic violence always happens between couples. It is difficult to find an eyewitness. However, it is very easy for doctors to tell whether the patients were beaten by others. Now, the special medical records from Tieying Hospital will be used as evidence in court. For example, a local court in Beijing judged a divorce case according to the wife's medical records. The wife who withstood a long period of violent abuse easily divorced her husband and got compensation from him thanks to this process of collecting the details of the victim's injuries and history of injury.
Doctors receive intimidation calls
According to doctors from Tieying Hospital, most of the domestic violence victims, who receive medical treatment in Tieying Hospital, suffer from eardrum perforation. Some victims also suffer from cuts, osteoclasis or deformity due to bone breaking and internal damage. For example, a wife who had a master degree was beaten up by her PhD husband with their laptop.
Experienced doctors could easily identify domestic violence victims from other patients by their scared expressions. They don't let these victims go back home unless they make sure that they are safe. Before the victims leave hospital, the doctors will give them a card on which is printed hotlines for China's women's federations, legal aid service centers and organizations against domestic violence. The cards also print ways victims can protect themselves and help themselves. For example, victims must come to hospital to get proper medical treatment and leave evidence on record.
The victims should let their trusted friends or family members know that they are dealing with violence. When facing it, victims should try their best to make sure that neighbors can hear their calls for help. They also should prepare a bag and put some money, important documents, medicines, and keys for future need and possible escape. Doctors will also urge again and again that their patients hide the cards carefully. Doctors worry about their patients being beaten again if the violent abuser finds the cards.
Many domestic violence abusers believe that beating their wives is their own family matter, and doctors interfere with family matters if doctors ask their wives how they were injured. Recently, doctors from Tieying Hospital often receive intimidation calls and are even harassed. Doctors say it is very hard for them to help these women victims.
(China.org.cn by Wu Nanlan and Daragh Moller November 26, 2003)
