BEIJING, May 11 (Reuters) - China's health ministry has called for police to be posted at local hospitals to protect medical workers from violent attacks by disgruntled patients and their relatives, state media reported on Friday.

China Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Qu'nan appealed to police and hospitals to cooperate to "halt the violent trend" and provide better service to patients, the China Daily said.

"Bringing about a harmonious medical service environment is not just down to hospitals," the paper quoted Mao as saying.

"The police should be more involved in safeguarding hospital staff and the facility itself."

Disputes between patients and hospitals are common in China, where market reforms of the 1980s ended cradle-to-grave healthcare and where lax supervision has lead to overcharging, bogus treatments and corruption.

Some 9,831 attacks stemming from disputes caused more than 200 million yuan ($26 million) worth of damage to hospital property and injured more than 5,500 medical workers, the paper said, citing health ministry figures.

In December, doctors and nurses at Shanxia hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, were forced to wear hard hats on their rounds after being jostled and spat at for days by relatives seeking compensation over a patient's death.

A number of hospitals had hired police to patrol wards and maintain order, the newspaper said.

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