More than 100 people gathered outside a court in Ningbo, a city in southeastern China, as the medical dispute case involving “Little Luoxi” was heard.
The 5-month-old baby died during cardiac surgery two months ago. Public attention has continued to grow, making the case one of the hottest topics on Chinese social media.
An investigation revealed medical malpractice, but the case appears to go beyond what meets the eye.
More than 100 people gathered outside a court in Ningbo city in southeastern China.
The medical dispute case involving little Luo Xi was heard.
The five-month-old baby died during a cardiac surgery two months ago.
Public attention has continued to grow,
making the case one of the hottest topics on Chinese social media.
An investigation revealed medical malpractice.
But the case seems to go beyond what meets the eye.
Take a look.
The girl, Shu Luo Xi, or little Luo Xi as Chinese netizens call her,
underwent the surgery at the Women and Children's Hospital of Ningbo University on November 14.
The surgeon said the surgery was intended to correct an unusual
atrial septal defect located in the heart.
He told the family this operation carried a success rate of over 99%.
However, little Luo Xi died during the procedure.
The autopsy report showed that Luo Xi did not have the unusual atrial septal defect,
but a common one.
Standard treatment for it involves observation until the child reaches one or two years old.
Some cases resolve on its own without surgery,
and performing surgery at such a young age carries greater risks.
It raised questions about whether the surgery was actually needed.
On top of that, the autopsy found a 2.5-inch surgical wound on Luo Xi's body
that had not been stitched up.
The grieving family shared the case online,
sparking public outrage and quickly going viral on Chinese social media.
This case is not an isolated medical dispute
since China has been commercializing its healthcare system for decades.
In other words, Chinese authorities have reduced funding for public hospitals
and required them to generate revenue themselves.
So public hospitals operate more like businesses prioritizing income over public health.
The logic is simple.
More operations and more drug sales means more revenue.
More cases have emerged of patients complaining that hospitals arranged
unnecessary operations or that doctors prescribed the most expensive medicines.
Another death has drawn attention on Chinese social media.
A well-known Hong Kong kung fu actor passed away last week
after posting more than 20 messages speaking out for Luo Xi.
Bruce Leung was one of the few celebrities to do so.
He also called for the punishment of human traffickers.
Not even one day after that, he died suddenly of heart failure in a Chinese city near Hong Kong.
His death wasn't announced until five days later.
Some Chinese influencers are asking whether his death is related to his
Leung's students denied having any suspicions.
