China Scene: North

Couple sues hospital for Caesarian section refusal

A couple has sued a hospital in Fangshan district, Beijing, whose refusal to carry out a Caesarean section resulted in their child being stillborn, for 560,000-yuan compensation ($80,000).

Wang, a Fangshan resident, went into hospital to give birth this April. As a previous ultrasound scan showed her baby's head as large in relation to her pelvis, she asked for a Caesarean section, but doctors refused. During Wang's prolonged labor both she and her husband begged for a Caesarean again and again, but to no avail. Upon finally giving birth the next day, the infant was stillborn. The couple blame the hospital for their baby's death, and demand compensation.