Residents Die And Pregnant Women Miscarriage During COVID-19 Restrictions, Two Hospitals In Xian China Closed

Illustration of a hospital in China. (Wikimedia Commons/Rowingbohe)

JAKARTA - Two hospitals in China's locked-down Xi'an City, including one that refused to treat an eight-month pregnant woman who later miscarried, have closed while they "corrected" the error, authorities said on Thursday.

The historic city, one of several in China to experience a coronavirus outbreak, has been under a strict three-week home lockdown in line with Beijing's "zero-Covid" strategy.

Top health officials were forced to apologize last week after deplorable social media posts, including photos and videos of women sitting on plastic benches outside Gaoxin Hospital in pools of blood, sparked anger over the city's harsh rules.

He was denied treatment because his negative COVID-19 test fell slightly beyond the 48-hour requirement. She also had to accept the loss of the fetus she was carrying.

In a separate incident at a second hospital, a Xi'an resident said his father died last week, after he was unable to get medical treatment for heart disease due to "pandemic-related regulations".

Both hospitals have been given a stern warning, with operations suspended for the next three months for repairs. And, only allowed to operate again after getting approval.

The city's health commission said in a statement on Thursday that both hospitals had failed to do their job of saving lives and rescuing the injured.

"This led to delays in the rescue, diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients, caused widespread public concern and had dire social repercussions," the health authority said, citing CNA Jan. 13.

It is understood that Gaoxin Hospital has been told to suspend the general manager and lay off several staff members. The second hospital fired its chairman, suspended the deputy chief and removed the head nurse of the outpatient department.

The local government has faced widespread criticism for its handling of the crisis, with many residents complaining that they do not have access to food and daily supplies after being told they cannot leave their homes.

To note, cases have started to slow in Xian in recent days, with only six reported on Thursday. In total since December 9, there have been more than 2,000 domestic infections in the city.