China has banned health institutions from withholding care to people with HIV/Aids after an outcry over a cancer patient with the disease who was denied treatment, state media reported.
The Ministry of Health issued a memo on Friday ordering authorities to take steps to guarantee the right to medical treatment for people with the disease, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Xinhua said the memo warned that violators will face harsh punishment, without elabourating.
The move comes after a 25-year-old lung cancer patient in Tianjin, a major port city southeast of Beijing, was recently denied care after his status as an HIV/Aids was detected, Xinhua said.
The patient, identified by the pseudonym Xiaofeng, was later able to get surgery at another location after concealing his condition, the state-run China Daily reported.
The man’s plight caused Vice Premier Li Keqiang - who last week took over the number two position in the ruling Communist Party’s top decision-making body, and is tipped to become premier in March - to speak out on the issue.
