A 27-year-old woman from Mainland China was bitten by a snake during a trip to Sanya, Hainan, and tragically passed away after being transferred between two hospitals. Her family raised concerns about misdiagnosis and delayed treatment at the first hospital, Sanya Central Hospital, and deemed the rescue measures taken at the subsequent hospital, Sanya 425 Hospital, inadequate, ultimately leading to the unfortunate outcome. The incident gained significant attention and made its way to the top of search trends.
On June 3rd, a netizen named Xiao Li posted on social media that her 27-year-old sister, using the pseudonym “Sweet”, was bitten by a snake on the evening of June 1st during her trip to Sanya. Despite efforts at two hospitals, she tragically passed away early on June 2nd.
According to reports from Red Star News, in addition to their grief, the family questioned the diagnosis and treatment delay at Sanya Central Hospital, followed by inadequate rescue measures at Sanya 425 Hospital, believing that the handling by both hospitals was a crucial factor leading to the tragedy.
During a live broadcast of the “People’s Concern” segment on Guizhou TV’s News Channel, Xiao Li stated that the incident occurred around 11 pm on June 1st when her sister was bitten by a snake and taken to Sanya Central Hospital. By around 1 am on the 2nd, after blood tests showed elevated white blood cells and low platelets, she was diagnosed with “insect bite on the foot or bite by an unknown object” and subsequently transferred to Sanya 425 Hospital around 4 am.
Xiao Li mentioned that despite informing the doctors that her sister was bitten by a snake, they were skeptical and believed it was from some type of insect or centipede, administering saline injections. When her sister vomited, they administered antiemetic injections. It was only when her sister experienced tongue numbness and full-body convulsions that she was arranged to be transferred. Upon arrival at Sanya 425 Hospital, her sister was not immediately taken to the emergency room but instead to a fifth-floor ward that lacked any life-saving facilities.
Xiao Li expressed that Sanya Central Hospital’s delay of over four hours led to her sister being unconscious by the time she reached Sanya 425 Hospital.
The incident sparked widespread attention and commentary online, propelling it to a top search trend.
Netizen Yantai Huiteng stated, “The first hospital must take responsibility, regardless if the diagnosis was a snake bite, basic rescue measures should have been in place, right?”
User Fengzhongdesinianna3a advised, “Hainan has many snakes – try to avoid beaches, seaside, and forest areas after 7 pm.”
User Chengdu Liwei Zhong Xiaoqianga257 recommended, “If bitten by a snake, be sure to take a photo of the snake, then go to the hospital to determine the appropriate serum.”
User Menglongtianchuangcad1cb1 raised concerns, “The hospital had issues, mistaking it for an insect bite and unknown organism.”
According to reports, on June 3rd, it was learned from the health department that the Health Commission of Sanya City had intervened, organizing a meeting on the 3rd and retrieving the medical records as part of the investigation.