A video that has surfaced showing a surgeon allegedly punching a patient while operating on him has sparked outrage in China.

The incident happened in 2019, but the video went viral on Chinese social media this week, sparking anger over the incident.

The hospital suspended the surgeon and fired the CEO.

The video shows the surgeon punching a patient in the head at least three times while performing eye surgery.

Aier China, which owns a chain of eye hospitals, said the incident took place during an operation at its hospital in Guigang, a city in southwest China.

The patient was an 82-year-old woman and “during the surgery, due to local anesthesia, the patient developed intolerance.” She shook her head and eyes several times, according to their statement.

As the patient could only speak a local dialect and did not seem to respond to the doctor’s warnings in Mandarin, “the surgeon decided to take action,” the statement said. The woman suffered bruising to her forehead as a result of the attack, authorities said.

After the surgery, hospital management apologized and paid 500 yuan ($70, £55) in compensation, according to the patient’s son who spoke to local media. He also said that his mother is now blind in her left eye, although it is unclear if it is because of the incident.