Foreigner Denied Entry to Hospital in Beijing

Hey Laowinners!

A friend was asking advice for his coworker who had posted this on reddit.

"Had a very disturbing experience last week when I brought a teenager with a partially-severed fingertip and a gash in her hand who literally had blood down to her sneakers to the nearest E.R., which was at a large, centrally-located hospital in Beijing, and was told to go to a different hospital. At first the reception said there was no "international department," and when we refused to leave a doctor finally came out and cited some unidentified "rule," and finally said "Chinese people's and white people's bodies are different" and she had no obligation to treat the girl, and "you should listen to Chinese people when you're in China," and when I finally gave up and called a cab (the girl was in a bad state and it was difficult to move her) they made us wait outside for the cab, which was five minutes away. Except for us, the E.R. waiting room was empty. Beijing #6 Hospital (北京市第六医院), by the way.

I had a similar experience two years ago when I went to a different E.R. in Beijing (Beijing Tong Ren Hospital 北京同仁医院) for stomach problems and was told that E.R. "can't treat diarrhea" and was directed me to the hospital with an international department down the street. Seemed bizarre to me but no mention about my nationality that time.

Is it normal for foreigners to be denied medical care at E.R.s without "international departments"? Are there any actual "rules" that say certain hospitals aren't allowed to treat foreign nationals? If that's the way it is, so be it, but can't find much info online and would be great to hear from other people. If this a common phenomenon it's something foreigners should definitely be made aware of so they don't waste time going to places that will reject them in emergency situations.

ETA: I speak fluent Chinese and we had no trouble communicating with the staff."

I thought this was really alarming, but I wasn't surprised. This happens at hotels as well, when the staff refuses entry to foreigners because they don't want to deal with them. It's just kind of worrying that this hasn't improved since I moved to China in 2008.