Chinese hospital compensates man kicked off operating table and sent to pay US$2,200 bill
- Surgeons in Lanzhou say doctor demanded fee from anaesthetised patient that was seven times typical bill for procedure
- Poor regulation of private hospitals in China leads to cases where surgeons extort thousands of yuan in extra fees from people in their care
A hospital in northwestern China hospital will compensate a patient who was told by a doctor to get off an operating table in the middle of surgery and pay 15,300 yuan (US$2,230) for completion of his operation.
Modern Men’s Hospital in Lanzhou agreed to pay the patient 41,450 yuan in compensation after he walked from the table under local anaesthetic to a floor below to pay the fee the surgeon demanded.
The patient, surnamed Yao, a tourist from Yunnan province, had a consultation at the hospital in Gansu province on October 25 and paid the doctor 538 yuan up front, news site Thepaper.cn reported.
However, the unnamed doctor stopped surgery midway and demanded 15,300 yuan more from his patient or the operation would not continue.
The doctor told him that his lymph glands were inflamed and exposed nerves needed to be repaired, otherwise he would face more problems in future.
Yao said he was scared but as he was drowsy from anaesthetic, he had no choice but to agree to the surgeon’s demands. His wounds were bandaged and he was sent to pay, the report said.