Medical Council removes Sit Sou-chi from list of medical practitioners for 9 months

A mainland couple gave birth to a son in Hong Kong in 2009. The infant later developed cerebral palsy and limb disabilities. The Medical Council ruled that the doctor involved, Sit Sou-chi, had committed professional misconduct and removed him from the list of registered medical practitioners for nine months.

The complainant described this as justice delayed and is considering pursuing civil compensation.

Before the Medical Council's ruling on Sit, a summary of testimonies during the hearing was made.

The incident occurred in 2009. The complainant, Mrs Lai, came to Hong Kong from mainland China to give birth.

During childbirth at Baptist Hospital, she developed a high fever and was later confirmed to be infected with Group B Streptococcus. After her son was born, he also developed a high fever and convulsions, ultimately resulting in cerebral palsy and quadriplegia.

They subsequently filed a complaint with the Medical Council regarding whether Sit disregarded his professional responsibility towards the newborn.

The Medical Council ruled that on the day of the incident, the nurse discovered the infant boy experiencing convulsions and chills. She immediately placed him in an incubator for oxygen and contacted Sit. After understanding the situation over the phone, Sit only replied that he would return to the hospital slightly earlier in the morning.

Expert witnesses said that convulsions in newborns are difficult to diagnose and should not be made solely by nurses. They argued that doctors must conduct their own assessments. The Medical Council said Sit should have returned to the hospital earlier, rather than waiting until then the morning, believing that he failed to conduct timely and necessary examinations, which was below the standard of his fellow doctors in Hong Kong.