PUBLISHED ONJanuary 10, 2014 1:00 AM
HUNAN- A one-year-old boy in China's central Hunan province died after a hospital refused to transfer him to the province's capital of Changsha until his mother had paid money in advance for an ambulance.
Doctors at a children's hospital in Changsha said if the baby had arrived earlier, he would have survived, local daily Sanxiang Metropolis Daily reported.
The boy's mother, surnamed Tan, was told to pay 800 yuan (S$168), though an investigation found that the ambulance fees should have been under 440 yuan.
In any case, health bureau officials said, the first hospital was too inflexible in the incident which happened late last month.
The mother was compensated 9,800 yuan by the first hospital.
Ms Tan took her son to a clinic as he wouldn't stop crying, Shanghai Daily reported.
The doctor at the clinic said the baby was seriously ill and drove them to Xiangxiang People's Hospital.
The child's illness was not disclosed.
Following tests, the doctors said that the baby should be transferred to a hospital in Changsha.
PALE AND COLD
By that time, the child was pale and cold.
The officials then asked the mother to pay 800 yuan but she had only 100 yuan.
She pleaded with the officials to take him to Changsha, where her husband - who was in the city - could pay. But the officials refused.
By the time friends and families collected the money for the ambulance it was too late.
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