In a recent incident in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, a woman found a piece of gauze the size of a chicken egg left in her body after a medical examination, which had already begun to emit a foul odor. The woman expressed dissatisfaction with the way the hospital handled the situation.
According to a video released on September 24 by the official account of the Henan Youth Daily, the person involved, Ms. Wen (pseudonym), revealed that she underwent a gynecological examination at the Yishengtai Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Hohhot on August 24 this year. The examination was done under general anesthesia. She said, “After it was finished, it was already 12:30 pm, and they had already finished work. I wanted to find medical staff to ask about post-examination precautions, but I couldn’t find any relevant personnel, and no one had informed me about the need for a follow-up check.”
Afterward, Ms. Wen continued to feel unwell, experiencing frequent brown discharge. She said, “When I came for a follow-up on September 12, the result showed that there was a piece of gauze about the size of a chicken egg inside my body, and when it was removed, it had already started to smell bad.”
Ms. Wen believed that the doctors did not inform her about the gauze left in her body and the need to remove it within 24 hours, indicating a medical error for which the hospital should take responsibility.
She recounted her first conversation with the doctor, who accused her of trying to extort money, saying, “The doctor asked me whether it was about enriching you or impoverishing me, and why I was making such a fuss over a small matter. Later, the hospital designated an administrative staff to offer me one thousand RMB and asked if I would accept it. If not, there would be no further resolution available.”
Following the publication of this news, many netizens believe that the hospital is responsible for the incident.
One netizen, “YesterdayLakeOcean cL331,” commented: “During a proper surgery, before closure, the gauze must be counted and the instruments verified. Everything should be recorded. For surgery, one must go to a top-tier hospital. That is true professionalism.”
Other netizens pointed out that in mainland China, incidents of gauze being left inside the body after surgery often occur, with hospitals eventually settling the matter by compensating the patients.