71-year-old’s death at North District Hospital ruled natural, despite family claims

A coroner’s jury has ruled that a 71-year-old woman who died at North District Hospital in 2023 succumbed to natural causes on Thursday (Nov 20), despite her family’s claims that hospital staff failed to accept a critical medical report from Mainland China.

The deceased, Chan Ngun-ngun, fell ill while traveling in Dongguan in December 2023. She was diagnosed at a Mainland hospital with an aortic dissection, a life-threatening tear in the main artery, before returning to Hong Kong for treatment. Chan was admitted to North District Hospital but died later that evening despite resuscitation efforts.

Dispute Over Communication of Urgent Surgery

During the inquest, Coroner Arthur Lam noted conflicting testimony between Chan’s eldest daughter and hospital staff regarding whether the need for urgent surgery was communicated.

The daughter initially stated she was unsure if she had informed the doctors. After consulting with her family during a court break, she revised her statement, claiming she had relayed the information. Hospital counsel questioned the credibility of this testimony, noting that she had made no such claim in earlier police statements.

Doctors confirmed they reviewed a Mainland electrocardiogram provided by the family. Additional Mainland medical reports were reportedly not provided until about two hours after Chan’s admission, at which point a CT scan confirmed that she had an aortic dissection.

Jury Unanimously Rules Death Natural, Issues Recommendations

After approximately two hours of deliberation, the five-member jury unanimously ruled the death as “natural,” noting that no accident or violence was involved.

The jury recommended that the Hospital Authority implement a policy requiring all hospital staff, including non-medical registration personnel, to accept and promptly forward medical documents and referral materials provided by patients’ families to attending physicians.