CHINA> Focus
Death of pregnant worker raises questions about hospital
By Li Hongmei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-06-26 12:06

The vice director of Julong Hospital surnamed Hu, said in an interview that the hospital had already informed Li's family of the high risks the patient could bear if they insisted on vaginal birth, due to the fact that Li's pregnancy was overdue. In addition, AFE is a rare but deadly obstetric emergency situation, which is highly unpredictable.

Li and her husband had signed the acknowledgement of the conditions, but stated they wanted to try a vaginal birth first. The hospital has now proposed to conduct an autopsy to trace the root cause of Li's death as well as the premature death of her baby.

The story has sparked a huge wave of online debate among netizens since it was released by Sina.com, one of China's major portal websites. Hundreds of readers posted their opinions on online forums, and their viewpoints are highly divided on the tragedy.

Some believe that the attitude of the hospital staff in question were arrogant and far from responsible; some deemed the proposal for an autopsy by the hospital will be unreliable. "It is negligence clad in a medical disguise," said a netizen, and many others poured scorn on Li's husband, who is labeled as cold-blooded, irresponsible and even accused him of having abnormal thinking. There are some praising Li's husband for not swerving from his principles, even when facing the options of life and death for his wife.

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