Punishments given over delays that resulted in death
By Zhou Huiying | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2022-06-07 16:01
The health commission of Zhengzhou, Henan province, punished several officials and staff members for improper processing methods that resulted in the death of a patient due to delayed medical treatment, the commission said on Monday.
On Friday, a Henan man surnamed Peng posted a report online about his daughter's death on May 30.
In the post, Peng said his daughter, a junior at Henan University, felt physically uncomfortable the morning of May 17 and called the 120 emergency center for help at 10:27 am.
The center didn't immediately send an ambulance because personnel failed to get the exact location, Peng said.
Returning to the dormitory, a roommate called 120, but it was two hours before the sick student was transported to First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and diagnosed with acute cerebral hemorrhage.
Peng said his daughter was treated in the intensive care unit after surgery until her death. That cost more than 20,000 yuan ($29,980).
The commission investigated after the post was published.
According to a statement released by the commission, Zhang Zhenying, the dispatcher at the emergency center, was removed for misjudging the patient's condition and inadequately dealing with complex problems.
"During the process of answering the emergency call, Zhang subjectively believed that the condition of the young college student was not critical," the statement said. "Zhang focused only on repeatedly asking for the exact address but did not dispatch an ambulance in time, which indicated Zhang was not skilled in professional operations and wording."
Zhang also failed to take more effective measures to deal with the emergency, such as making contact with the 110 emergency center, the statement said.
Another four officials from the center were handed punishments — including removal from job positions, intra-Party warnings and administrative warnings — for failing to perform their duties adequately during the process.
The commission has contacted the families of the deceased and expressed condolences for the death of the patient, the statement said.
