Court officers forcibly remove the patient surnamed Chen from Beijing Jingmei Group General Hospital on Tuesday. Photo: CFP

A Beijing man was forcibly removed from a hospital Tuesday where for the past three years he refused to leave over malpractice claims, media reported on Wednesday.

The Mentougou district court gave the man surnamed Chen seven days on December 10 to check out from the Beijing Jingmei Group General Hospital, where police found he had chained himself to his bed.

Chen, who underwent surgery after a traffic accident in 2011 left his legs swollen and in pain.

Though the hospital cleared his release, Chen claimed the symptoms persisted. Unsatisfied, he refused to leave. "They failed to cure me, so they should be responsible for it," Chen said.

The scene on Tuesday was dramatic. Chen's wife and son attempted to stop bailiffs. The court employees soon discovered Chen had chained himself to his hospital bed by the wrists. It took a team of six policemen to restrain Chen as they cut through the chains.

An unnamed hospital employee said they had repeatedly advised Chen seek arbitration or file a lawsuit.

"If we are found guilty of malpractice, we will take the blame. But patients cannot keep taking up public resources like this," the employee said.

Beijing Morning Post