13th December 2023 – (Beijing) Renowned Hong Kong actress Kathy Chow Hoi-mei, best known for her iconic role as Zhou Zhiruo in the popular 1994 TVB series “The Heaven Sword And Dragon Saber,” has passed away at the age of 57. The sudden news of her demise has left friends, family, and fans shocked and saddened.
On Tuesday evening, Chow’s studio confirmed her passing through an official statement posted on Weibo. The statement revealed that Chow had succumbed to an undisclosed illness after unsuccessful medical treatment. The studio expressed their heartfelt condolences, stating, “May there be no sickness in heaven, and may we meet again.”
Following the news of Chow’s death, social media platforms were flooded with discussions and speculations about her alleged medical records. Reports surfaced, claiming to be Chow’s medical history, which stated that she arrived at the hospital unconscious, with a rigid and lifeless body, displaying signs of postmortem lividity. The records also indicated that she had experienced significant respiratory distress the night before her passing.
While the alleged medical records bore Chow’s name, with “Hoi-mei” written alongside it, and listed her age as 57, the authenticity of the documents remains unverified at this time. The records indicated that she was urgently admitted to Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine at 11.11am on 11th December, contradicting earlier rumours suggesting she was taken to Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
The hospital’s public relations department stated that they were investigating the matter and were uncertain if the leaked medical records originated from their institution. If the records were indeed leaked from their hospital, appropriate actions would be taken. The Shunyi District Health Commission in Beijing responded, stating that local authorities had initiated an investigation, and official updates would be provided.
Personal health information, including medical records, is considered private and confidential. Celebrities are not exempt from this. Currently, it is unclear how the medical records were leaked. However, it is evident that exposing the deceased’s privacy and using medical information as gossip material is highly inappropriate and potentially illegal.
Article 1226 of the PRC Civil Code stipulates that medical institutions and their staff should keep patients’ privacy and personal information confidential. Those who disclose a patient’s privacy or medical records without their consent bear legal responsibility for the violation. Therefore, anyone leaking a patient’s medical records is liable for legal consequences. Relevant authorities should conduct a thorough investigation to identify the source of the leak and take appropriate action.
A hospital staff member stated, “When she was brought in, we didn’t even know who she was. Some people took photos at the scene. We are still investigating whether the records were leaked by someone within the hospital or by others.” The “Regulations on the Management of Medical Records in Medical Institutions” already outline that medical institutions should establish sound systems for managing medical records, including dedicated departments or personnel responsible for record management. This implies that even if the leak did not come from internal hospital staff, it indicates that there is room for improvement in protecting patient privacy.
Cases of medical information breaches have not been isolated to celebrity figures in recent years. In July of this year, a patient in Jiangxi complained that a cancer hospital in Jiangxi had provided their medical information to an insurance company with which they had a cooperative relationship, resulting in insurance salespeople approaching them a day before their surgery. In 2020, a woman in Wuhan, Hubei Province, had her medical records copied by her ex-husband “through connections,” causing significant distress. In 2017, the Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court publicly exposed a case where six Nestlé China employees purchased over 100,000 pieces of personal privacy information from various hospital staff members in Lanzhou.
These cases highlight that some hospitals have lax and disorganised management of patient privacy information. Some medical personnel even consider patients’ private information as a means of profit. The leakage of Kathy Chow’s medical records serves as a reminder that the public must take this issue seriously.
Legal experts have pointed out that regarding the issue of medical record leaks, Kathy Chow’s family can seek compensation for mental anguish from the responsible party. This includes cases of “illegally disclosing or using the deceased’s privacy or violating the deceased’s privacy in other ways that contravene public interest and public morals.”