Family sues hospital after fight over bed

The family of a man who died in a local hospital's emergency room has sued the institution for failing to prevent a fight over a hospital bed, local media reported Thursday.

The family of the deceased man, surnamed Xu, sued the hospital for 40,000 yuan ($6,564) in Hongkou District People's Court because it couldn't stop another patient's son from interfering with Xu's treatment, according to a report in the Shanghai Law Journal.

The fight occurred at Yueyang Hospital in Hongkou district on March 19, 2012, after doctors transferred a 93-year-old patient surnamed Gu to make space for Xu in the emergency room.

The transfer angered Gu's son, who began arguing with Xu's family because no one responded to his request to move his father back, the report said. At one point, Gu's son rammed another bed into Xu's bed, almost knocking the patient to the floor.

Neither Xu nor Gu survived their stay in the hospital, though it was unclear if the fight contributed to their deaths. Another emergency room patient, who was also caught up in the scuffle, also died.

In court Wednesday, Xu's family also demanded 10,000 yuan from Gu's son on the grounds that his actions in the hospital contributed to Xu's death. Gu's son argued that Xu died from his own health problems.

At the hearing, the court heard testimony from the families of all three patients who died after the fight. Gu's family blamed the hospital for transferring Gu from the emergency room without informing his relatives.

The hospital's doctors argued that they have the right to decide which patient is most in need of medical resources. They pointed out that Gu was in stable condition when Xu arrived. They also said they didn't have time to inform Gu's son about the transfer.

"It is reasonable for doctors to give priority to the patient in the most critical condition," said Lu Yiming, the director of the Emergency Treatment Department at Ruijin Hospital. "Doctors also do not have to inform a patient's family when they are rushing to treat other patients."

The court did not issue a ruling Wednesday.