Shanghai’s COVID-19 Lockdown has prevented Ill Patients from receiving life-saving Medical Treatment as China Escalated its ‘Zero-Covid’ Efforts

14-04-2022

Michela Rivellino

China and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

Following the March COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, new strict measures have been imposed by the central government in conformity with the zero-COVID policy. Unlike other countries, China has hardly welcomed the idea of coexisting with the virus, and it reinstated one of its world’s strictest lockdowns, generating strong discontent and resentment both among the citizens and abroad. 

People in Shanghai have undergone weeks of restrictions, uncertainty, as well as necessities and food shortages. In this context, the most vulnerable citizens and seriously ill patients seem to have paid the highest price. Evidence has shown that Shanghai has been constructing centralized isolation facilities where thousands of infected people have been kept. Furthermore, several hospitals had to transfer hundreds of medical professionals and staff to specific facilities, to monitor and assist with mandatory COVID-19 tests across the city.

Meanwhile, patients afflicted with serious non-COVID diseases, such as those in need of cancer treatment or dialysis, have been denied hospital care. In Shanghai, over 20.000 patients need regular dialysis therapies twice or even three times a week to survive. Because of the virus outbreak, and the following lack of beds and staff, several dialysis clinics have ceased to operate, leaving ill patients without life-saving medical care. Similarly, citizens with metastatic tumors, in urgent need of surgeries or cancer treatments, have been forced to wait more than 60 days, running the risk of deteriorating their health condition.

Sources and further reading:

Ao, J., Tang, J. (2022, April 11). “Seriously ill patients die after being denied hospital care in Shanghai lockdown”. Rfa. From

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/treatment-04112022151748.html.