Hong Kong leukaemia patient dies five days after missing critical blood test
Hospital did not book electrician Lin Sui-man’s appointment for May 7, 2014 despite doctor’s instructions, coroner’s court hears
An electrician suffering from acute leukaemia died five days after he missed a critical blood test, as the hospital had left out his appointment slip despite the doctor’s instructions.
The coroner’s court heard that Lin Sui-man, 46, was supposed to return to Princess Margaret Hospital on May 7 and 9, 2014 for follow-up tests to monitor his declining blood platelet level as it dropped from 79 on May 2 to 15 on May 5 following chemotherapy.
But he returned to the hospital only in the small hours of May 9 because he felt dizzy. By then, his blood platelet level had dropped to 1, and he was found to be suffering from a brain hemorrhage.
Lin died after three days of intensive care.
The hospital later apologised in a letter dated June 10 the same year, acknowledging that only one appointment was arranged due to communication problems, and admitted that it would have been more satisfactory if Lin had been given a blood test and brain scan as soon as possible.