Yueyue remains in a critical condition, a nurse told The Daily Telegraph by phone. Earlier doctors said she had suffered major head injuries and was breathing only with the assistance of a ventilator. The story of Yueyue was the leading item across China’s online news portals as the copies of the CCTV highly distressing footage attracted more than a million viewings in a number of hours.

Guidelines issued this week by the Chinese Ministry of Health for providing first aid to elderly people have added fuel to an online debate triggered by several cases of people being sued for trying to help those in distress.

On Tuesday, the ministry recommended that people should "not rush to help up elderly who had fallen down" but instead handle the situation "according to different scenarios". If the person was suffering from a severe headache or had difficultly speaking, it could mean he or she had a stroke. Helping such a person back on to his or her feet might accelerate cerebral haemorrhaging or reduce blood flow to the brain, according to the guidelines.

The suggestions outline steps that should be taken when, for example, a child has been hurt in a road accident, and follow a case in November 2006 in which a 65-year-old woman in Nanjing, Jiangsu, sued a man who helped her back to her feet when she tried to board a bus.

A court ruled that since the man was the first person to get off the bus, it was possible he had knocked the woman over. He was ordered to pay her 45,876 yuan (HK$55,926) in compensation and to cover 40 per cent of her medical bills.