Health officials confirmed that the head of a Wuhan hospital died of coronavirus.
Dr. Liu Zhiming passed away after ‘all-out rescue efforts failed,’ said state broadcaster CCTV. It resolved the misunderstanding after local officials reported his death but then denied it.
The confusing statements also added to concerns about the country’s determination to manage the narrative about the disease, triggering more fears that officials are not revealing all information.
Dr. Zhiming’s death has sparked another outrage only two weeks after another doctor, Li Wenliang, died of coronavirus.
The director of the hospital, who passed away at the age of 51, was hailed for his “important contributions in the work of fighting and controlling novel coronavirus.”
However, many Weibo (Chinese social media platform) users compared the death of Zhiming from Li, who got reprimanded for raising the alarm about coronavirus.
Medics in Wuhan experience shortages of protective bodysuits and masks. Some are even trying to use makeshift suits while working despite exhibiting respiratory problems.
One Weibo user commented: “Has everyone forgotten what happened to Li Wenliang? They forcefully attempted resuscitation after he died.”
Dr. Zhiming’s death was first announced by an official at the Hubei Provincial Health Commission on Weibo. It read: “Mourn the first hospital director to have sacrificed himself.”
Another source also said that the director had always been healthy and he was shocked after hearing the news.
But after an hour, an official from Hubei Provincial Health Commission said that Dr. Zhiming was being resuscitated. He then deleted the post after learning about the director’s death.
Dr. Li, who worked at Wuhan Central Hospital, was reprimanded for warning the public of ‘SARS at a Wuhan seafood market’ on December 30. His post came two weeks before the killer virus broke out in the city.
Unfortunately, he passed away in the early hours of February 7 after the hospital had denied reports of his demise.
One internet user commented: “He wasn’t allowed to speak. He wasn’t even allowed to die.”
Another wrote: “Dr Li Wenliang was only allowed to ‘die’ after most web users had gone to bed.”
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