28th May 2023 – (Hong Kong) A middle-aged man with a long-term illness was found with a syringe containing yellow liquid on his stomach while being attended to by hospital staff at United Christian Hospital on 25th May. The patient was in a comatose state, and the staff suspected poisoning. The authorities were notified, and the patient was pronounced dead later that evening. The hospital confirmed that the syringe did not belong to the hospital and that it had reported the incident to the authorities, who are treating it as a case of “dangerous drug discovery” and “death report.”
The patient, who suffered from kidney disease, had been admitted to the hospital earlier this month. On the afternoon of 25th May, while two staff members were changing his urine bag, they found him in a semiconscious state and discovered a syringe with yellow liquid on his stomach. The staff suspected poisoning and reported the incident to their supervisor. However, investigators found no evidence of anyone injecting the patient or any puncture marks on his body. The CCTV cameras in the ward did not cover the patient’s bed. The staff members retrieved the syringe and handed it to the authorities for analysis.
The hospital stated that the patient had a history of drug abuse and had refused to take medication or receive treatment as instructed by medical personnel that morning. He had requested a discharge certificate to leave the hospital against medical advice. The patient did not take any medication from the hospital that morning. Laterthat day, a friend of the patient visited him for about 10 minutes and left. After the visit, the patient’s condition deteriorated, and he became disoriented. The staff found the syringe containing light yellow liquid in his clothing and suspected it was a drug.
The hospital confirmed that the syringe did not belong to them and reported the incident to the authorities. The patient passed away at around 11 pm that evening. The hospital expressed its condolences to the patient’s family and promised to cooperate fully with the investigation. The case has been referred to the coroner for further investigation.
Police confirmed that they received a report from hospital staff at around 4pm on 25th May about a syringe with a small amount of liquid found on a 55-year-old patient named Cheng at a hospital on Hip Wo Street. The patient was semi-conscious and receiving treatment but was pronounced dead at around 10.45 pm that evening. The cause of death is pending autopsy results. The case is being treated as a “dangerous drug discovery” and “death report” and is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Team of the Second Team of Sau Mau Ping Police District.