Child abuse charges against nurses over stitching mishap shocked nursing union

The chairman of a nursing union voiced his shock after two nurses and a patient care assistant were charged with child abuse over a five-year-old girl who suffered cardiac arrest following a stitching procedure at Yan Chai Hospital.

Tse Kin-keung, the chair of the Association of Hong Kong Nursing Staff,  expressed great remorse over the critical condition of the girl Lai Sum-yuet after the mishap that led to her heart stop beating for 18 minutes in May.

He noted that many nurses are now worried that stitching according to the procedures might still lead to similar incidents.

Tse characterized the incident as an unfortunate accident and explained that doctors usually do stitching in general wards, with nurses only handling it in emergency rooms. 

After the incident, stitching procedures for children will be managed solely by pediatric doctors.

Tse said one of the nurses involved is a member of the Association, and the union will offer legal consultation while other members can voluntarily purchase liability insurance for legal support over medical incidents. 

Three medical personnel involved in Lai's operation were charged with one count of child abuse and were mentioned in Shatin Magistrates' Court on Monday (Sep 30).

In a press conference yesterday, Sum-yuet's father expressed concern about his daughter's declining health. He accused Yan Chai Hospital of "lying and hiding the truth," and called for a quick court decision to seek justice for his daughter.

The Hospital Authority (HA) expressed understanding of the family's feelings and assured their commitment to Lai's treatment. They confirmed that Lai is still in the pediatric intensive care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital, where staff are closely monitoring her condition.