The woman surnamed Yang was 34 when she was admitted to Peking University Third Hospital on Dec. 28 due to hypertension. (Photo : Bloomberg)
Two of China’s most powerful medical and scientific institutions clashed following the death of a pregnant employee at a Beijing hospital, according to a report by China Daily.
The woman surnamed Yang was 34 when she was admitted to Peking University Third Hospital on Dec. 28 due to hypertension.
According to the hospital, Yang, who was 26 weeks pregnant upon the time of admission, complained of chest pains until her heart stopped on Jan. 11. Despite emergency resuscitation efforts, Yang passed on.
The autopsy results showed aortic rupture as the cause of death. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), where Yang worked under the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, sent an official letter to the hospital on Thursday, Jan. 14, to request a "fair, transparent, and thorough" investigation.
The Chinese Medical Doctor Association, however, issued a statement on Saturday, Jan. 16, questioning the legitimacy of the letter. CMDA also advised the CAS institute to educate its employees about the law following reports of the woman's family destroying hospital property and inciting physical altercations with some hospital staff.
As a response, Huang Yong, deputy chief of the physics institute, cleared with ThePaper.cn on Sunday, Jan. 17, that the letter was sent upon the request of Yang's family, who complained that the hospital was unforthcoming to include them in the investigation.
It wasn't meant to put pressure on the hospital, said Huang, but to encourage fast action to find the actual cause of death.
According to Peking University Third Hospital, Yang's family members congregated at the hospital and began destroying hospital property. Medical staff were also allegedly beaten, disrupting the hospital's operations. Once the authorities arrived, Yang's family left.
Yang's husband Zhang Ziqiang denied the claims on Sina Weibo on Sunday. He said the medical staff failed to provide a detailed medical record and death report, but no property or medical staff was destroyed nor beaten.
According to Li Huijuan, a lawyer at Zhonglun W&D Law Firm, it was inappropriate for the CAS institute to send a letter regarding matters between hospital and patient.
