Coronavirus whistleblower doctor reported dead in Wuhan

China confirms death of Wuhan doctor who blew the whistle on the illness, unleashing a wave of anger over his treatment.

Dr Li Wenliang is reported to have died after contracting the coronavirus. Picture: Supplied.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a team from the one party state’s powerful National Supervisory Commission to Hubei to investigate the death of a doctor who had been punished by police for “spreading rumours” about the Wuhan virus outbreak.

After hours of confusion, the death of the 34-year-old doctor Li Wenliang — who had been treating patients in Wuhan infected with the virus — was confirmed on Friday by Wuhan City Central Hospital.

“We deeply regret and mourn this,” the hospital said in a statement.

The death triggered millions of comments on Chinese social media, furious about his treatment by authorities, and has become the latest challenge for President Xi’s central government as it struggles to contain widespread anger about the handling of the health crisis.

There are more than 635 confirmed deaths from the virus, all but two in mainland China. More than 31,000 people have been infected according to official numbers.

Members of the Cyberspace Administration of China, a state censor, have been hurriedly deleting posts on Chinese social media sites that criticise government officials for their treatment of the late doctor.

Law graduate Li Yuchen said he had been detained for eight hours overnight after he published an article about Dr Li on WeChat, a social media site similar to Facebook.

The massive outpouring of grief and anger has left many posts undeleted for hours.

“The Wuhan government owes Dr Li Wenliang an apology,” wrote Luo Yu, one of the deceased doctor’s university classmates, in a widely shared post on Weibo, a Twitter-like social media site.

“If doctors had freedom of speech, it wouldn’t have become a national disaster. Doctor Li Wenliang protected his right of opinion with his life,” wrote Cai Shenkun, a former Chinese journalist.

“We are angry that your warning was taken as a rumor. We are grieving that your death is

not a rumor,” said another senior Chinese journalist.

Dr Li was one of eight doctors punished by Wuhan police on January 1 for “spreading rumours”.

Most of the eight were doctors who had been discussing the spread of a new SARS-like illness on WeChat.

“Your acts have severely disturbed social order, gone beyond the limit of law. They are illegal acts!” Dr Li was told by Wuhan district police, according to an admonition notice.

At today's #2019nCoV media briefing @DrMikeRyan was asked about reports that Dr Li Wenliang had passed away, and he expressed condolences.

WHO has no information on the status of Dr Li. pic.twitter.com/59UzWpcfa7

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 6, 2020

The Supreme People’s Court last week criticised the police team’s decision after it was widely criticised on Chinese social media.

Mr Xi has repeatedly instructed that the People’s Republic of China will maintain an “open and transparent attitude” as it fights the virus.

The President — who is also the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party — has also called for efforts to “strengthen public opinion guidance” on the central government’s handling of the crisis.

Three hundred state-controlled journalists were this week deployed to Wuhan to “co-ordinate the propa­ganda of epidemic prevention and control”.

The Ministry of Public Security also this week said it was monitoring the crisis.

“Protection of political security should always be put as the number one priority,” said Public Security Minister Zhao Kezhi, after senior leadership at the central government’s key police and security authority met to discuss its response to the virus.