Woman loses baby after doctor prescribes abortion pills by mistake

A woman in China lost her unborn child after a doctor wrongly prescribed abortion pills instead of medicine to stabilise the pregnancy.

The tragic incident occurred last month in China's Nanchang city, located in the sourtheastern province of Jiangxi. 

Shortly after administering the medication, the woman found herself back at the hospital, bleeding and in pain. A check found that she had suffered a miscarriage.

According to reports, the couple had struggled to conceive for eight years after their first child was born due to the woman's health issues. 

They were elated to discover last month that she was pregnant. But their happiness was shortlived as the woman miscarried just five days after the revelation.

The female doctor who prescribed the pills did not deny wrongdoing but said she "meant no harm".

She explained that she'd mistakenly given the woman the prescription of the patient before her.

In the doctor's defence, the head of department at the hospital said the woman was told to return to see the doctor after collecting the medication from the pharmacy, but she never did.

After initial negotiations fell through, with the family demanding 100,000 yuan (about S$20,000) in compensation but the hospital only willing to pay 10,000 yuan, both parties finally reached a compromise of 50,000 yuan. 

The hospital added that the doctor will receive disciplinary action once the department is less shorthanded.

candicecai@asiaone.com