Yaxin.com News (reporter Meiyu Dong) A patient was hospitalized for the treatment of injuries, and mysteriously contracted Hepatitis C two months after admission. "During my hospitalization, the hospital gave me blood transfusions many times. Why did I contract the virus? The hospital must give an explanation." Carrying physical pain and a heavy mental burden, 36-year-old Xiao Yan (a pseudonym) fought for her rights for two years and finally received over 100,000 yuan in compensation from the hospital.
Xiao Yan was once seen as cheerful and热情by her friends, gentle and affectionate by her husband, and warm-hearted by her son. However, an accident two years ago disrupted her life, leaving her on the brink of collapse ever since.
Xiao Yan is now 38 years old and lives on a farm in Manas County. On July 15, 2008, she was sent to a hospital in Shihezi City for emergency treatment due to a car accident. On the day of admission, the hospital tested her blood and found that the Hepatitis C test result was 'negative'. At the same time, the doctor issued a diagnosis certificate stating, "The patient's condition is serious, and albumin supplementation is needed. Our hospital does not have the medicine; it must be purchased at your own expense."
Following the doctor's advice, Xiao Yan's family bought the blood product human serum albumin from the Autonomous Region Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, which was injected over six days by the hospital. During the critical rescue, the hospital also provided multiple blood transfusions on July 18, 20, and 21, with the blood supplied by the Blood Station of the Production and Construction Corps and the Shihezi Blood Station.
Xiao Yan eventually pulled through from the brink of death, but no one expected that another misfortune would follow: On September 15, 2008, when Xiao Yan's condition improved and a comprehensive examination was conducted before discharge, the Hepatitis C test result came back as 'positive'.
"When I was admitted, my blood tests showed that the Hepatitis C test was 'negative', but two months of treatment later, the Hepatitis C test turned 'positive'. What happened?" Xiao Yan could not believe her eyes as she held two different test reports from the hospital.
Full of doubts, on September 25, Xiao Yan went to a hospital in Urumqi, where further testing confirmed that she had contracted Hepatitis C.
On September 26, 2008, only 10 days after being discharged, Xiao Yan had to be readmitted to receive treatment for Hepatitis C.
Xiao Yan learned that Hepatitis C is a viral infectious disease mainly transmitted through blood transfusions and blood products. "It was during the surgical treatment and blood transfusion process at the hospital that I contracted Hepatitis C," Xiao Yan angrily claimed while demanding compensation from the hospital, which was rejected.
After more than a year of prolonged treatment, Xiao Yan described her experience as "like crawling out of one death line into another." "I dare not get close to my closest relatives; I don't dare to hold or kiss my son. My former friends avoided me like the plague, and I became someone abandoned by life." Xiao Yan said tearfully that this mental torment had made her desperate, compounded by the agony of illness and exorbitant medical expenses, which pushed her repeatedly to the edge of collapse.
First Trial:
Neither the Hospital nor Xiao Yan Were at Fault
Hospital Compensates Xiao Yan with 50,000 Yuan
"The hospital must give me an explanation." After her claim was rejected, in May 2009, Xiao Yan sued the hospital in the Shihezi People's Court, demanding compensation for all expenses incurred from treating Hepatitis C and 120,000 yuan for emotional distress.
In response to Xiao Yan's questions about the blood transfusions, the court added the Blood Station of the Production and Construction Corps and the Shihezi Blood Station as co-defendants during the trial.
Upon commission by the court, the Clinical Inspection Center of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps tested 11 blood sample specimens supplied by the Blood Station of the Production and Construction Corps and the Shihezi Blood Station. The conclusion of the appraisal was: All 11 blood samples showed negative reactions, with no detection of antibodies against the Hepatitis C virus.
During the trial, the hospital argued that the blood transfusions given to Xiao Yan during the rescue were carried out according to medical behavior standards, with appropriate treatment methods and no fault. The blood given to Xiao Yan was provided by the Blood Station of the Production and Construction Corps and the Shihezi Blood Station, with legal sources. Moreover, there are many ways Hepatitis C can be transmitted, and blood transfusions are not the only route. Xiao Yan had injected self-purchased non-prescription drugs, human serum albumin, during her hospitalization, which posed a possibility of infection.