China will severely punish people who insult medical workers or put shrines to deceased patients in hospitals, according to a guideline issued on Thursday.

The guideline, jointly released by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and other health and security authorities, states  that six types of criminal conduct disrupting medical work will be severely punished.

The six crimes it specifies include attacking doctors and damaging public property, setting up shrines and burning paper money (a Chinese custom for paying respect to the dead) in medical institutions, restricting doctors' freedom, insulting medical workers, entering medical institutions with illegal arms, and instigating others to commit crimes against medical staff.