Authorities in China's Fujian Province said Thursday that more than 100 doctors and nurses gathered at the government headquarters in Nanping City on Wednesday to protest a decision involving compensation for a patient's death.

A 49-year-old patient died of kidney failure early Sunday at the No. 1 Hospital of Nanping. Angry relatives scuffled with doctors and nurses, leaving one family member and five hospital staff slightly injured, according to the spokesman of the Nanping government.

The government decision that the hospital pay 210,000 yuan (31,000 U.S. dollars) to the family prompted the 100 staff to protest at the gate of the city government. They were persuaded to leave the gate later in the evening, the spokesman said.

The government would strive to improve its ability to deal with conflicts between hospitals and patients' families, resolving such contradictions as soon as they emerge so that they won't escalate into large-scale conflicts.

The government would also conduct a legal education campaign among villagers and doctors, guiding them to express their petitions in a legal way, the spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2009)