2 Chinese officials suspended over pregnant woman's suicide

Two Chinese hospital officials have been suspended for negligence after a pregnant woman jumped to her death as she could not bear the labour pain and give birth through vaginal delivery which her family had demanded.
The tragedy happened at the No. 1 Hospital of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, on August 31 when the pregnant woman in labour jumped out of the window of an operation room, killing both herself and the child she was carrying.
The health and family planning department of the city decided yesterday to suspend an official in charge of the hospital compound and the head of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The hospital was also asked to carry out an overhaul of managerial loopholes.
The investigation panel, composed of officials with the health and public security departments in Yulin city in Shaanxi, said that the case was a suicide and not a homicide, as angry members of the public had accused the woman's family and hospital of being murderers, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The investigation ruled that the hospital had been negligent in its care of the patient.

The official case description said the woman had gone to the hospital on August 30 when she was very close to labour.

The hospital had suggested a Cesarean because a "large foetal head circumference meant vaginal delivery would be risky."
However, the woman's family insisted on a vaginal delivery and signed papers accordingly.
On August 31, the woman walked out of the delivery ward twice to tell her family that her pain was unbearable, but she was escorted back to the ward both the times, the report said.
The same night nurses found that the woman had jumped out of the window of the operation room as they called for emergency rescue.
She was pronounced dead of severe brain injury, multiple fractures and hemorrhagic shock. The child she was carrying has also died.