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It was 24 days ago that Whang Joung-il, minister for political affairs at the Korean Embassy in China, died while being treated in a Beijing hospital for an upset stomach. The Korean Embassy in China believes Whang¡¯s death was due to a grave medical error by a physician at the hospital, who administered the wrong antibiotic after injecting him with Ringer's solution containing calcium. Chinese authorities took the Ringer¡¯s solution for testing and conducted an autopsy on the Korean official. But the embassy reportedly has yet to receive any word from Chinese officials on the results of the investigation. The hospital where Whang died has not been subject to any disciplinary measures and continues to treat patients. A funeral ceremony was held for Whang at the Korean Embassy in Beijing last Tuesday, but no Chinese officials attended.
When Korean officials raised the possibility of a misdiagnosis or wrong prescription to the Chinese official, he responded by asking why Whang chose to go to such a ¡°low grade¡± hospital. His tone was as if Whang was to blame for his death for choosing the wrong hospital. But that hospital happens to be a prominent one in Beijing and is frequented by foreigners. Nor is it some cheap clinic either. It charges US$140 for an initial exam. If such a hospital is truly ¡°low grade¡±, then perhaps Whang should have used a hospital catering to Beijing¡¯s elite bureaucrats. Judging by Beijing¡¯s nonchalance in dealing with this incident, one perforce feels that China has a long ways to go. It may appear to be on its way to becoming a global leader. But it seems there is no way that country will be able to assume such a responsible role as long as it behaves this way.
China and its people are increasingly being viewed in a critical light for doing anything that is profitable, while placing scant importance on human lives. In the United States, 3,000 cats and dogs died after eating animal feed made in China, while a chemical used for car antifreeze was discovered in Chinese toothpaste. A marketing campaign has begun with ¡°China-free¡± labels being placed on products to show no Chinese ingredients have been used. In Korea, many consumers simply shun food or other products of Chinese origin.
A country doesn¡¯t become a top-notch nation simply because it holds the largest U.S. dollar reserves in the world or because it has put a satellite into space. If a foreigner has to risk his or her life during each visit to a hospital, then who in their right minds would respect China as a global leader? It doesn¡¯t take much to arrive at a judgment on something. If a country lacks a sense of the value of human lives and honesty and does not have a system for dealing sternly with dishonest and illegal actions, then it will be unable to be respected as an advanced nation, regardless of its size.
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