In Guangdong Zhanjiang, two children were captured on video being forcibly subjected to blood tests in the early hours of the morning while their parents were not at home, sparking a wave of public outcry. The topic of “children being blood tested when parents are not at home in the early morning” quickly trended on social media platforms. In response to criticism from various quarters, the local neighborhood office explained that they contacted the police to come to the house due to the “non-cooperation of the parents,” attempting to defend their actions. However, this explanation only fueled greater skepticism among netizens.
On August 7th, a netizen posted surveillance footage from their home online, showing an incident that occurred in the early hours of August 4th. The video depicted a group of individuals blocking the door of the homeowner, with one woman in pink pulling a young boy’s hand and drawing blood from his arms and fingers, followed by drawing blood from a slightly older girl.
The netizen questioned, “Do they have the right to draw blood from underage children when there is no guardian present?” She described herself as a single mother who works and takes care of her children alone, unable to bring her phone to work and unaware of the unconsented blood tests conducted on her children in the early hours of August 4th. The children, who were asleep at the time, were abruptly awakened to be tested, without the officials wearing work uniforms or identification badges. When she returned home from work the next morning, she found her children crying and stating they felt dizzy and frightened.
The netizen, identified as a parent from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, mentioned that days after the blood tests, the children still experienced symptoms such as dizziness. Previously, the children had visited a clinic due to a fever, and the clinic reported the incident to the local health department.
Upon contacting the Xiamen Village Committee of Gongnong Street in Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, officials acknowledged the incident but claimed it was necessary to investigate a sudden potential situation of being exposed to Kyasanur Forest Disease. They explained that the netizen’s son had a fever and visited a local clinic, prompting the clinic to report the matter. Officials contacted the parents to communicate the need for blood tests, but as the parents did not cooperate, the police were involved in the process.
Following media coverage of the incident, public opinion erupted, with criticisms directed at the local authorities’ actions.
Netizen comments included:
– Concerns about the legality of testing underage children without a guardian present.
– Questions as to why blood tests couldn’t wait until daylight when the parents were home.
– Disapproval of forcibly testing minors without parental consent or presence.
– Calls for guardians to be present during medical examinations.
Critics also rejected the authorities’ claim of “non-cooperation” from the parents, questioning why parents should be obligated to comply in such situations.
A post by blogger “直言敢為先” questioned the legality and ethics of a group of individuals intruding into a home in the early hours to conduct blood tests on children without the parents’ knowledge. The blogger highlighted the psychological impact on the children and stressed the seriousness of unauthorized actions under the Minor Protection Law.
Additionally, various legal provisions were cited, indicating the necessity of parental consent and presence during blood tests by medical institutions, except in cases of emergency.
The article called for a swift and transparent investigation into the incident to provide the public with satisfactory answers.