Investigation of Beijing hospital shows no evidence of malpractice

A preliminary investigation of a medical dispute involving a patient's death at Liangxiang Hospital in Beijing's Fangshan district showed the hospital provided continuous treatment for the patient, the district's health authorities said in a statement released on Saturday night.

No evidence currently exists to show the hospital hadn't given timely treatment due to waiting for a nucleic acid test result, the statement said.

It added a thorough and comprehensive investigation about the incident will be carried out by an expert team.

They will check security footage at the hospital, go through the patient's medical records and conduct inquiries.

Moreover, authorities from the Beijing People's Mediation Committee for Medical Disputes have also started a survey about the incident, which was agreed to by the patient's family.

The doctor involved has been suspended from service and is also under investigation. If there were problems, the doctor would be seriously dealt with, the statement said.

"My wife, Zhou Qingmin, suffered a sudden heart failure and was sent to the hospital's fever clinic for treatment at noon on September 11," a Weibo user named "Li Jianguo Zhou Qingmin" said in a post on Sept 13.

He claimed the hospital refused to give his wife emergency treatment because her regular nucleic acid test hadn't produced a result yet, which led to a worsening of her condition and finally her death.