Major events on Chinese social media in 2014

Several medical workers took a selfie in an operation room after completing a surgery, unaware of how much sensation the selfie would cause on Weibo.

Operation room selfie

Several medical workers took a selfie in an operation room after completing a surgery, unaware of how much sensation the selfie would cause on Weibo. On Dec. 21, the "selfie incident" put Xi'an Fengcheng Hospital in an awkward situation, as the public accused the medical workers of neglecting due seriousness during surgery. As a result, those who were involved in the selfie were disciplined.

However, when more details of the incident were unveiled, the public started to sympathize with the doctors, deeming the punishments too severe.

The incident actually started on August 16, when a doctor posted a selfie on his WeChat Moments. But on Dec. 20, this photo was found on Weibo with a comment questioning the doctor's conduct. It read: "I want to ask you, medical workers, now that you understand the rising tension between doctors and patients, what you are doing during operations?"

The debate drew the attention of public media, which, in its certified Weibo account, initiated a discussion on whether the punishments had been too harsh. In this new round of disputes, the doctors explained that they took the selfie to celebrate the successful operation, the very last one before the room would be deserted. At the same time, the patient involved provided her support, saying she was grateful the medical workers managed to save her legs after operating on them for many hours, and she agreed that they could marking the success by taking a selfie. The patient added that the doctor asked for her permission for the selfie.

In the two rounds of contention, public opinion was overturned by the new media.