SHANXI, CHINA — Chinese netizens are furious over a pregnant woman who ended her life last Thursday after her family allegedly repeatedly refused to let her have a C-section to deliver her baby, regardless of the pain she was suffering.
When doctors examined the 26-year-old woman, surnamed Ma, she was already more than 41 weeks pregnant. They discovered that the fetus's head was very large, meaning it would be dangerous for her to undergo a natural birth, China's China Business News reported.
Doctors at the First Hospital of Yulin recommended to Ma and her family that she should have a C-section, but Ma's family refused and insisted on natural birth.
In China, some surgeries can only be performed with the patient's family's consent, despite that, doctors repeatedly tried to convince Ma's family that she just would not be able to do it the naturally, but no no no, they apparently just wanted to have their way.
Even Ma pleaded with her family, begging for consent. Even though she was already experiencing pain from her pregnancy, her family refused the plead. Distraught and in excruciating pain, Ma later reportedly jumped from the fifth floor of the hospital, killing herself and her unborn child in the process. Chinese authorities ruled it was a suicide.
The incident has since sparked an uproar on Chinese online forums, with many questioning the family's decision. However, since the news broke, Ma's family has denied accusations against them, with Ma's husband claiming that he later did give the go ahead for the C-section. The hospital says as far as they know, no one from Ma's family gave their consent.
The hospital later released surveillance footage showing Ma kneeling on the floor, begging her family to grant their consent. In response, the family claims Ma was not begging, but merely kneeling because she was in pain, and that they did eventually give her what she wanted.
While it is not clear who's actually telling the truth, many Chinese commenters believe the family's lying. They believe the family is only trying to protect themselves now, and might even be trying to get some compensation money from the hospital in the process.
