The Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine has come under intense scrutiny after a surgery livestream reportedly exposed a female patient’s genitals to tens of thousands of viewers.
According to Red Star News via HK01, the footage sparked widespread outrage online and was eventually taken down after being flagged by viewers.
Following mounting criticism, the hospital issued an apology on Tuesday (3 Feb), adding that disciplinary action has been taken against the staff involved.
The incident occurred on Monday (2 Feb), when the hospital’s Second Department of Gynaecology conducted its routine weekly training session via its official WeChat Video Channel.
The session covered the surgical treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) and included a four-minute instructional video demonstrating a surgical procedure.
Source: HK01
However, the livestream reportedly showed the patient lying on the operating table with her lower body fully exposed.
Reports indicated that at its peak, the broadcast drew over 50,000 viewers.
Viewers who came across the stream expressed shock and concern.
Questions were raised about whether the patient had given consent for the procedure to be broadcast.
Some netizens argued that even if consent had been obtained, such explicit medical imagery should not have been shown on a public platform.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Reports also stated that the livestream attracted inappropriate and harassing comments in the chat, further fuelling public anger.
The stream was eventually cut after multiple users reported it.
The hospital later disabled the video links and initiated an internal review of its teaching materials and digital platforms.
In their official statement on Tuesday, the hospital acknowledged the error in using a public platform for internal medical training, reports Jimu News.
They admitted that the incident exposed a lack of digital literacy and management negligence in overseeing the educational content.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Following a review by the Hospital Party Committee, the Head of the Second Department of Gynaecology received a serious warning and was suspended pending further investigation.
A staff member from the Medical Affairs Department responsible for auditing the session was also issued a formal warning.
In the aftermath, the hospital shut down all related livestreaming links and removed the department’s social media accounts.
It is now conducting a comprehensive audit across the facility to review all teaching materials and online platforms.
The hospital said it aims to address what it described as deficiencies in digital literacy and management to ensure private medical content is never broadcast publicly again.
Also read: Video captures hospital staff in China ‘stealing’ placentas, suspected of illegally selling them
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Featured image adapted from HK01 and Sing Tao Daily.