2 Hong Kong hospital staff charged with child abuse after girl’s heart stopped following suturing procedure
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong police have arrested and charged two Yan Chai Hospital staff members on suspicion of child abuse, after a four-year-old girl suffered a cardiac arrest following a procedure to close a wound in the emergency ward.
Two women, aged 26 and 62, were apprehended in Kwai Tsing District on Saturday for allegedly committing the offence of “ill-treatment or neglect by those in charge of child or young person.” They were officially charged by the police and will appear at Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts on Monday morning.
According to the police, a 38-year-old man filed a report on May 30, saying that his four-year-old daughter had lost consciousness after receiving treatment at a hospital in Tsuen Wan.
The Hospital Authority (HA) confirmed on Saturday that the arrestees were employees of Yan Chai Hospital. They were involved in a suturing procedure on a four-year-old girl on May 25 in the Accident and Emergency Department.
According to the HA’s press statement at the time, the young patient was sent to Yan Chai Hospital on May 25 due to a head injury. A doctor had ordered a wound suture, which was performed by a nurse, with the assistance of a patient care assistant.
When the procedure was completed, the nurse found that the girl was unconscious and had no pulse. Medical staff performed resuscitation and arranged intubation, before bringing the patient back to spontaneous circulation. The cardiac arrest lasted for 18 minutes.
The HA said at the time that the medical incident was “rare,” adding it had invited experts from Paediatrics and A&E specialties to review the case and would conduct a further probe to determine the cause.
According to local media, the girl developed a brain disorder afterwards and has been receiving treatment at the Peadiatric Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital since May 25. The HA said on Saturday that she remains in a critical condition and requires a tube for feeding and ventilatory support.
The HA added it expressed deep concern for the patient and her family and pledged to continue to provide appropriate treatment and support.
“As legal proceeding[s] are ongoing, it is inappropriate for the HA to make further comments on the case,” the HA statement read.
Under Hong Kong law, anyone convicted of ill-treatment or neglect by those in charge of child or young person can face up to 10 years behind bars. A summary conviction warrants up to three years of imprisonment.
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