Recent medical accidents have been frequent in mainland China, with even toddlers becoming victims. In a tragic incident, a 2-year-old toddler in Chengdu Dujiangyan died after receiving intravenous fluids, while a 1-year-old child in Chongqing was injected with ineffective medication at a cost of over 30,000 yuan per dose.
On December 12th, a netizen with an IP address from Sichuan posted a video claiming that their 2-year and 9-month-old child was hospitalized at the Dujiangyan Maternal and Child Health Hospital on December 10th for a cold. After receiving the intravenous drip, the child felt unwell shortly after and despite over an hour of rescue efforts, the doctors declared the rescue attempts unsuccessful, and two hours later, the child was pronounced dead.
Hospital staff at the Dujiangyan Maternal and Child Health Hospital responded to mainland media reports, stating that the child seemed normal after the drip and was taken away by family members. Less than an hour later, the child was brought back to the hospital without a pulse or breath, and the cause of death will need third-party verification, with the hospital currently dealing with the matter.
The Sichuan Chengdu Dujiangyan Health Commission reported on December 12th that a patient named Hu, male, aged 2 years and 9 months, was admitted to the hospital for “influenza virus pneumonia” and was discharged by family after the completion of the intravenous therapy. When returning to the hospital around 11:34 PM, the patient showed no signs of life and after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts, clinically passed away in the early hours of December 11th.
The report also mentioned that an investigation has been initiated and the family is guided to seek the cause through legal means.
Netizens commented, “Oh my, they must be severely punished!” “The child is only two years old, how devastated the parents must be.” “Why do these things keep happening recently?” “How did this happen? Was it a mistake in operation?” “Humanity is losing its way.”
Additionally, on December 12th, Chinese media Litchi News reported that a woman from Sichuan, Ms. Wang, revealed that during her 1-year-old baby’s third treatment at the Chongqing University Children’s Hospital affiliated with Chongqing Medical University for infantile spinal muscular atrophy, the medication labeled “2~8 degrees refrigerated, do not freeze” was taken out from the freezer and still injected by the doctor after being frozen.
According to Ms. Wang, unlike regular injections, this medication required 5 milliliters of cerebrospinal fluid to be extracted from the child and mixed with the injection before proceeding with the lumbar puncture. “The child suffered greatly from this.”
It is known that the child is currently in a treatment window period, requiring a total of four lumbar punctures, with each injection costing over 33,000 yuan. Following the suspected failure of the third injection, which may affect the subsequent treatment progress, the child’s chance of independent walking could be impacted.
After the incident, Ms. Wang observed from the monitoring that medical staff took the injection from the freezer, then rapidly froze the drug using cold water rinsing and hand rubbing. “No one intervened to stop this behavior in time, which made me very disheartened.”
Ms. Wang has reportedly applied to have the relevant medical records sealed and is awaiting further processing. Staff from the Chongqing University Children’s Hospital affiliated with Chongqing Medical University responded, stating that relevant departments are coordinating with the family for handling the situation.
On Weibo, a netizen commented, “Freezing the injectable medication is a common-sense mistake. If proven true, this is a serious medical error.” “It’s really outrageous, one pediatric medical accident after another.” “White coats are no longer angels.” “Doesn’t the hospital have medical refrigerators? Shouldn’t such expensive drugs be kept in specialized medical refrigerators? Why isn’t the health department investigating, the drug regulatory authority investigating, the disease control department investigating?”
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This news article covers recent tragic incidents involving toddlers in China becoming victims of medical accidents. The incidents highlight the importance of proper medical procedures and the need for accountability in healthcare institutions. The reactions from netizens reflect the shock and concern over these events, raising questions about the quality of medical care and the oversight in hospitals. The stories of the families involved provide a sobering reminder of the impact of medical errors on individuals and their loved ones.