CRI听力:Official Removed after Illegal Dismantling of Hospital Buildings in Zhengzhou

A large excavator arrived at the No.4 Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University on Thursday morning and began demolishing the buildings of the radiological department and mortuary, while the work of the clinic was still going on and patients and doctors were inside.

The Huiji district government claimed they knew nothing about the operation and started an investigation into the case the next day.

Deputy secretary-general of the Zhengzhou government, Xue Yongqing, who is also the investigation team leader, said they identified the dismantling as illegal.

"The Huiji district house expropriation office issued relocation notices to the hospital several times during the year, but received no reply. Yet in demolishing the buildings, the office didn't follow relevant legal procedures. It was an illegal dismantling."

Deputy director of Huiji district urban construction bureau, Xiong Zhiliang, who is in charge of the hospital relocation, has been removed from his position. The excavator driver, who carried out the work, has been detained by police.

The Information office of the Huiji district government explained the buildings were affected by a road extension project.

The buildings had been erected as temporary structures more than twenty years ago. According to China's laws, such buildings should not exist for longer than three years.

Professor Wang Jingbo at the China University of Political Science and Law, said the dismantling of the hospital buildings should follow due legal process.

"Demolishment must follow legal procedures and property owners have the right to present and defend their case. Only in this way can we say the demolishment is legally sanctioned. For the illegal buildings, administrative organs can demolish them forcibly; for the legal ones, demolishment enforcement authorities must get the approval from the court based on house expropriation and compensation rules."

It's claimed that the destruction of the hospital happened without warning.

Director of the radiological department, Liu Chunguang, said he was in the middle of a diagnosis when he heard noises.

"I was operating equipment at this place, while the patient was sitting here. The patient was frightened by the rumbling noises and ran away, shouting 'earthquake, earthquake'."

Video footage shows the roof of the buildings being torn down and valuable equipment being crushed by falling debris.

Hospital staff Yuan Fang said dozens of young men wearing camouflage coats surrounded the excavator to prevent hospital staff from intervening.

The two sides came into conflict and three of the hospital staff were injured.

The government investigation team is now evaluating the hospital's loss during the destruction.

The local police also launched an investigation of related personnel and authorities.