In a medical accident that occurred nearly 3 years ago, a pregnant woman in Pingliang, Gansu, underwent a second cesarean section after giving birth naturally, and her daughter was born with cerebral palsy. The incident was recently exposed and made it to the trending topics on Weibo on April 13, sparking widespread attention.
According to reports from various mainland Chinese media outlets, on March 5, 2022, pregnant woman Qin Hongli from Pingliang, Gansu, experienced umbilical cord prolapse during natural delivery. Emergency cesarean section was performed while the anesthesia was not yet effective, causing her to faint in excruciating pain. Upon waking up, instead of experiencing the joy of a newborn, she found out that her daughter was transferred to a higher-level hospital due to prolonged suffocation, while she herself was pushed into the operating room for a second cesarean section without consent or information.
On March 5, 2026, judicial appraisal results showed multiple medical errors at the Pingliang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, including inadequate recognition of indications for amniotic sac extraction, improper handling of umbilical cord prolapse, and delayed implementation of cesarean section.
The appraisal concluded that these errors had an equal causal relationship with severe neonatal asphyxia, ischemic-hypoxic brain disease, and subsequent cerebral palsy. Furthermore, the second cesarean section performed on Qin Hongli was unequivocally deemed a medical malpractice.
In July 2025, after an investigation, doctors involved, Gan Limin and Shang Lantian, were found to have forged surgical records and postoperative course records in Qin Hongli’s medical history – records mentioning “X-ray fluoroscopy showing a small amount of fluid level” were all fabrications. The issue of whether the gauze, which was repeatedly searched for in the maternity room and eventually clearly visible in X-ray images, had been left inside Qin Hongli’s body, remains unexplained by the hospital to this day.
On April 2 this year, the Kunda District Court in Pingliang held a public hearing on the case. Two days before the hearing, the local legal aid lawyers suddenly terminated their representation, leaving Qin Hongli and her husband, who had no litigation experience, to appear in court alone. Qin Hongli said that the trial lasted from morning till noon without an immediate verdict.
According to prenatal examination records, 37-year-old Qin Hongli’s relevant tests during pregnancy were all within normal range. However, during natural delivery, she had a sudden umbilical cord prolapse and underwent an emergency cesarean section without the anesthesia taking effect, causing her to faint in pain.
Upon waking up, Qin Hongli immediately inquired about her child’s condition to the nurse. The nurse only mentioned that the child’s condition was critical, without providing further information, which instantly worried Qin Hongli. What also puzzled her was the constant search by the nurse in the maternity room for a missing piece of gauze.
Before she could inquire further, Qin Hongli was pushed into the examination room for an X-ray scan. In confusion and fearing that her illness might make her unable to care for her child, Qin Hongli unknowingly agreed. This time, without medical orders, written information, or consent, Qin Hongli was pushed into the operating room for a second cesarean section.
After the surgery, Qin Hongli recalled the details in the maternity room: the nurse had searched for the gauze, followed by a last-minute arrangement for an X-ray scan. During the second cesarean section, she claimed to have clearly seen the doctor remove a blood-stained piece of gauze from her abdominal cavity. These fragments gradually formed an unsettling judgment – the piece of gauze likely remained inside her body.
The aforementioned incident has stirred considerable discussion and concern among netizens.
A Weibo user, “灰緒化淚” (Huixu Hualei), expressed, “The details are suffocating:
1. Inadequate recognition of amniotic sac extraction indications, improper handling of umbilical cord prolapse, untimely cesarean section, ultimately leading to the child’s cerebral palsy;
2. Performing surgery without the anesthesia taking effect, causing the pregnant woman to faint in excruciating pain, then proceeding to a second cesarean without consent or notification;
3. Doctors forging medical records, with no clear and consistent explanation regarding whether the gauze was left inside the body;
4. Legal aid lawyers suddenly terminating their representation before the hearing, leaving inexperienced parents to defend themselves in court.”