The police yesterday (24th) reclassified an unregistered practice of Chinese medicine in Pat Heung the year before as a manslaughter case.
The incident occurred on December 10, 2020. A 55-year-old woman received Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion and diagnosis and treatment from a 74-year-old man at her residence on Kam Sheung Road in Pat Heung. The woman developed dyspnea symptoms 3 hours later and died later. .
After investigation by the police, it was confirmed that the Chinese medicine practitioner was practicing medicine without a license. The autopsy results also showed that the deceased died of pneumothorax due to a penetrating stab wound to the back.
Police said they received a report at 10:34 p.m. that a 55-year-old woman had difficulty breathing in her residence on Kam Sheung Road, Pat Heung.
Officers arrived at the scene and the woman was conscious and sent to Pok Oi Hospital for treatment.
The woman was later certified dead at 11.42pm on the same day.
The case was handed over to the Crime Squad of Yuen Long Police District to take over the investigation.
Investigations revealed that the deceased had received acupuncture and treatment by a 74-year-old man at his residence at about 9:35 that night, and the man was not a registered Chinese medicine practitioner or a listed Chinese medicine practitioner.
Police officers arrested the man on the next day (December 11, 2020) on suspicion of practicing Chinese medicine without registration.
The man was charged with one count of practicing Chinese medicine without registration on the same day. The case was brought up in Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts on December 12 of the same year.
After further investigation, the police found that the arrested man had performed a total of 7 times of Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion and diagnosis and treatment on the deceased.
An autopsy revealed that the deceased died of a pneumothorax caused by a penetrating stab wound to the back.
After consultation with the Department of Justice, the case has been changed to manslaughter. The arrested man has been charged with one count of manslaughter and seven counts of unregistered practice of Chinese medicine.
The case will be brought up in Eastern Magistrates' Courts on November 28.