(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-17 19:30

WUHAN - The president and Party chief of a Chinese hospital killed himself Wednesday over the pending appointment of a new Party chief to replace him.

Gao Huiquan, 50, president and Party chief of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Gongan County, Hubei Province, killed himself by taking potassuim cyanide during a meeting with county leaders at a restaurant, the county's publicity department told Xinhua on Thursday.

Gao took the poison at about 12:00 a.m. Wednesday at the Jiuyang Restaurant. He was rushed to the hospital but died despite doctors' efforts, the department said.

The department said the suicide of Gao was in connection with his dissatisfaction over the pending appointment of a new Party chief for the hospital by the county's Party committee.

"The Party committee took Gao's objection seriously and was considering a response, but unfortunately Gao killed himself before the final decision was taken," the department said.

Gao had been the president of the hospital for more than ten years.

The party authority of Jingzhou city, which has jurisdiction over Gong'an county, is investigating the incident.

A local newspaper, the Changjiang Times reported earlier that Gao's wife, Wei Shaohong, said Gao had told her he firmly opposed the appointment because he thought it was against principles.