Hospital denies malpractice in case of pregnant woman
Mistrust between doctors and patients in China has deepened after the family of a pregnant woman who died suddenly at a hospital in Beijing complained of malpractice.
The 34-year-old woman surnamed Yang, who was a research fellow at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), went to the obstetrics department of Peking University Third Hospital, a prestigious hospital in China, on December 28 and died there on January 11.
Her death came into the spotlight and prompted heated debate on Chinese social media after a post titled "Peking University Third Hospital was occupied by 50 troublemakers" went viral on Saturday.
The post said Yang's family caused a disturbance at the hospital and demanded 10 million yuan ($1.52 million) in damages after the tragedy happened.
Yang's husband, Zhang Ziqiang, on Sunday morning denounced the hospital for not actively trying to save Yang.
Meanwhile, he denied both a compensation demand and instigating a fight.
The post claimed that the couple received over 400,000 yuan in compensation from the hospital after Yang prematurely gave birth to an infant at the hospital several years ago and narrowly escaped death. Her baby later died of pneumonia.
Controversy escalated after a photo of a document from the CAS institute that employed Yang circulated online. It demanded that the hospital "make a fair, transparent and solid investigation into and present a true and complete conclusion on the causes of Yang's death." The institute confirmed the authenticity of the document on Saturday on its website.
The hospital responded in a statement on its website on Saturday, saying that Yang's sudden death resulted from an aortic dissection, a serious condition that can be linked to pregnancy.
"Yang had over 10 years of history of hypertensive disease and gallstones … Her death was caused by aortic rupture. When it occurred, chances of her survival were very slight," it said.
It also said that the hospital had met with Yang's family and her employer several times, explaining her illness and suggesting an autopsy.
However, "dozens of her family members gathered at the department, shouting loudly, smashing objects and hitting medical staff, seriously disturbing their work and threatening the lives of other pregnant women."
The hospital said that police have stepped in and will help resolve the dispute via a mediation agent or lawsuit.
The Chinese Medical Doctor Association also questioned the legitimacy of CAS institute's move.
An escalation in clashes between doctors and patients in recent years has jeopardized public trust in hospitals. According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, there were around 115,000 medical disputes in 2014, a decline of 8.7 percent over 2013.
According to China's amended Criminal Law, people who disrupt medical work and cause heavy losses could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.
