Outrage as ill China woman dies outside bank after being told to make in-person withdrawal
Family claims even after telling bank clerk of her poor health, they insisted she must be present to access funds
A bank in China is under scrutiny following the death of a gravely ill elderly woman outside one of its branches, where she was instructed to withdraw money in person.
The incident occurred on May 14 at the Agricultural Bank of China branch in Zhuzhou, Hunan province. The sick customer was brought by her daughter and son-in-law to withdraw 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) to cover her medical expenses.
The 62-year-old woman, known as Peng, had been suffering from diabetes for years. Recently, she had been hospitalised after falling and fracturing her leg, according to Dahe News.
One of Peng’s daughters arrived at the bank that afternoon with her mother’s identity card and deposit book but was unable to complete the transaction due to entering the password incorrectly several times.
Despite telling the bank clerk that her mother was unwell, the clerk insisted that Peng must be present in person to resolve the issue.
The daughter subsequently called her sister, who, along with her husband, transported Peng to the bank in a wheelchair. However, after an hour, they were still unable to withdraw the funds.