Relatives compensated after E. China anesthesia-related deaths

Written by Writer on Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Relatives compensated after E. China anesthesia-related deaths

SANMING, Fujian, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — Relatives of four patients who died after receiving anesthesia in a hospital in southeast China’s Fujian Province have received financial compensation.

The families were given between 200,000 and 400,000 yuan (29,112 to 58,224 U.S. dollars), the spokesman with the No. 2 Hospital of Sanming City said on Thursday.

A three-year-old boy and two men aged 26 and 29 died after receiving anesthesia during surgeries. A 44-year-old woman died eight days after her operation. The operations took place between Sept. 3 and Oct. 10.

Two anesthetists from the hospital have been suspended. Their department head was removed from his official post.

The Ministry of Health is investigating the cause of the deaths.

On Tuesday the hospital said samples of the drugs used in the operations were being tested.

“We still haven’t got an answer,” said Feng Guangyan, the elder sister of one of the victims. “It’s hard for us relatives to know our beloved died because of accidents during their operations.”

She does not think the financial compensation offered is adequate.

Editor: Wang Yan