Hong Kong woman’s reproductive organs removed by accident after wrong diagnosis
- Hospital Authority says blunder occurred due to mixing of biopsy samples from woman and another patient diagnosed with cancer
- Health official offers ‘heartfelt apology’ and says investigation committee to determine cause of blunder
A medical blunder resulted in a 59-year-old woman having her reproductive organs removed at a Hong Kong public hospital after she was wrongly diagnosed with endometrial cancer, health authorities have said.
The Hospital Authority apologised to the patient on Friday and said the incident occurred when biopsy samples from the woman and a 71-year-old patient diagnosed with cancer were mixed at Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long.
The woman had her reproductive organs removed at Tuen Mun Hospital on February 26, about five weeks after she was first informed of the news. She learned about the incorrect diagnosis on Friday, after hospital staff received a report about the contamination issues a day earlier.
“We know and understand that the incident will affect the patient’s physical and mental condition greatly, so I want to take the opportunity to give the patient our most heartfelt apology and our deepest condolence,” said Dr Wong Yiu-chung, chief executive of the authority’s New Territories West Cluster.
An investigation committee would determine how the blunder happened and a medical team would follow up on the woman’s condition, he added.
According to a statement from the hospital, the report from the committee would be submitted to the hospital authority’s head office in eight weeks.
Pok Oi Hospital’s chief executive Dr Chong Yee-hung said the two pathology department staff involved had been placed on leave. Related colleagues must strictly follow the relevant operational guidelines to prevent a repeat of the incident, he added.