Disabled hero gets his reward at last

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-09 07:52

A special annual pension of 8,490 yuan ($1,200) has been granted to a man in Shandong province for his heroic deed, the local civil affairs bureau said.

Qiu Wencai received severe injuries while trying to fight off two men who were robbing a neighbor six years ago in Xiangfan, Hubei province.

The injuries led to paralysis, forcing him to take to the streets last month to beg for a living.

Recently, the civil affairs bureau in Xiangfan sent a team to Shandong to present Qiu with a gift of 10,000 yuan.

Qiu had on a number of occasions applied for a pension on returning home to Shandong province.

Due to the local government's inefficiency and buck-passing between the different departments, his applications were repeatedly ignored, a source said.

"We've been receiving Qiu's applications for years, but the regulations do not make it clear how to handle such cases," an official surnamed Liu from the civil affairs bureau of Tancheng county, Shandong, said.

In the meantime, Qiu's debts mounted to more than 30,000 yuan, and he had to borrow money from relatives and friends to pay his medical bills.

In order to repay them, Qiu was forced to beg despite a hero's certificate being awarded to him and his mother by Xiangfan city.

Qiu's plight was reported by newspapers across the country, which gained the attention of the authorities.

In addition to the pension, he will also receive free medical insurance.

He is believed to be the first person in Shandong in such circumstances to obtain a government pension.