Their call of profession is to save lives. Apparently, doctors in China also need to save their own lives from the violent attacks of their patients.

On Tuesday, staff members at two Shanghai medical facilities, the Zhongshan and Huashan Hospitals, assembled to learn self-defense from martial arts experts, spurred by the recent killing of a fellow medical practitioner by a disgruntled patient.

The trainers taught them to defend themselves against patients who use weapons and foldable chairs.

"It will teach them how to react to an unexpected attack," one organizer told Global Times.

Doctors and nurses attend a training course for the treatment of the H7N9 virus at a hospital, where a H7N9 patient is being treated, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in this April 5, 2013 file photo. Dutch scientists hidden away in a top-security laboratory in the Netherlands are seeking to create mutant flu viruses, dangerous work designed to prepare the world for a lethal pandemic by beating nature to it. To match feature BIRDFLU-MUTATIONS/SCIENCE REUTERS/Chance Chan/Files

On Oct 25, Dr. Wang Yunjie, chief physician from the ear, nose and throat department of Wenling Hospital, was killed by a patient who was not satisfied on the results of a nasal surgery. The attacker went to the clinic of his doctor in the said hospital, and when unable to find him, charged the chief physician instead. He stabbed the innocent doctor to death with a 30-cm blade. Two others were seriously injured.

"This isn't the first time we have held a taekwondo class," a union staff member surnamed Wu. "We had one last year, but it was not nearly as popular. People are paying much more attention to this one because there has been a lot more concern recently about the safety of doctors and nurses."

Medical staff are actually getting afraid.

"Protection measures in hospitals are almost nonexistent," a physician identified only by his English name, Dr. Jones, said. "These security guards had no training. Actually, they can't protect us."

Although such attacks aren't new in China, the rate incidence does seem to be escalating, which based on figures from the China Hospital Management Society showed attacks have surged 23 per cent annually since 2002.

A different survey conducted by the China Hospital Association showed that the number of assaults per hospital have jumped to 27.3 in 2012 from only 20.6 in 2008.

"China's doctors are in crisis," Lancet, a medical journal, said in May 2012.

Video Source: Youtube/ CCTV News