6 in 10 Chinese doctors verbally abused

Nearly six in 10 Chinese doctors have been verbally abused by their patients, according to poll results reported by the People's Daily on Thursday.

Some 13.07 percent of the 12,600 doctors polled by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) throughout 2014 have been physically injured by their patients.

Recent years have seen a rise in attacks on hospital staff resulting from medical disputes. Patients often accuse doctors of rushing consultations and prescribing excessive, costly medicine.

A number of doctors have been killed in such disputes, leading to a peak in discussion about the problem of doctor-patient tensions.

The poll also highlighted doctors' workloads, with 32.69 percent of Chinese doctors working longer than 60 hours per week, far higher than the legally stipulated 40 hours.

Sixty percent of doctors said they have low job satisfaction, and 64 percent do not want their next generations to become doctors.

Based on findings from the 2014 poll and two previous polls in 2009 and 2011, the CMDA released a white paper on doctors' working conditions on Wednesday.

The white paper was compiled in the hope of raising public awareness about the strain doctors are under, the People's Daily quoted CMDA head Zhang Yanling as saying.

Last year saw 155 cases of violence against Chinese doctors, including many that resulted in serious injury or even death, the Supreme People's Court said on Tuesday.