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A woman is being tested for the coronavirus in the city of Xi'an
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
The Chinese city of Xi'an has been making headlines for days.
After numerous infections, the government is trying again with drastic measures to contain the spread of the corona virus - the metropolis is in lockdown.
However, the strict procedure has now apparently cost a human life in a different way.
According to a report circulating on social media, a woman in Xi'an miscarried outside a clinic because she was denied treatment for an expired corona test.
Another Xi'an resident shared a similar incident involving her father, who had died of a heart attack.
The case of the eight month pregnant woman became known through an online post from her niece at the beginning of January.
Accordingly, the woman was denied entry to Gaoxin Hospital for two hours because of the lack of a valid test.
A photo published on the Internet showed her sitting on a plastic stool, surrounded by a pool of blood.
The hospital director and head of the ambulance were suspended
The message was later deleted from online services.
Its content could not be independently verified, and the hospital left inquiries from the AFP news agency unanswered.
The city government announced Thursday that the general manager of Gaoxin Hospital, Fan Yuhui, has been suspended and the heads of the ambulance and medical department have been dismissed.
The incident had "raised concern in society and had serious social implications," it said.
On Wednesday, officials announced the establishment of fast access to hospitals for pregnant women or patients in critical condition.
Xi'an Health Commission head Liu Shunzhi publicly apologized for the incident.
According to the city administration, the hospital was also instructed to “remove hidden dangers in its work processes”.
Further reports are circulating in the Chinese media
The miscarriage apparently wasn't the only tragic case related to the corona restrictions. Another woman also reported on the online networks that she had lost her child after being turned away from several hospitals. Another resident of Xi'an also made her father's ordeal public on Thursday via online networks. He was not admitted to any clinic after a heart attack "due to the pandemic regulations" - until he could no longer be helped. The reports have not yet been independently verified.
In the corona pandemic, China is pursuing a strict zero-Covid strategy with rigid measures such as border closings, the cordoning off of entire megacities and mass tests. A strict lockdown was imposed in Xi'an two weeks ago after a corona outbreak. The restrictions have already led to supply problems and food shortages.
According to official figures, the country has only recorded 100,000 cases of infection and around 4,600 deaths since the start of the pandemic. On Thursday, the authorities reported 189 new infections within 24 hours, 63 of them in Xi'an.
fek / dpa / AFP