Online Game Causes Baby’s Death in China
It’s always sad when someone dies playing video games, usually for upwards of fifty hours straight, but it’s even sadder when someone else dies because of your desire to collect that last magic coin.
Such is the case of Dr. Mao Xiaojun, a doctor at Nanjing Children’s Hospital in eastern China, who felt playing the online game Go was more important than helping a sick child, ultimately letting the baby die. According to a press release, the five-month old baby’s mother dropped to her knees and pleaded for the doctor’s help, but her cries fell on deaf ears.
The cause of death, which occurred on November 4th (the day after the incident) was due to complications brought about from an eye infection. The doctor was fired and her license was taken away, but not before she attempted to cover her tracks.
Several others, including the head of the hospital and a number of staff members were disciplined, though the severity of their punishment was not as great as the video game-playing doctor’s.
With luck a prison sentence will be in her future.
(Link)
By Lycurgus on 24-11-2009
Comment by Cesar
November 24th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
some people jsut deserve to die, that doctor is a good example.
Comment by CharlyAR
November 24th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
+1 there.
Comment by anonymousPinoy
November 25th, 2009 at 1:52 am
nah!! let the doctor suffer first.. how about 50 years, tormented by the soul of the child, in prison while someone is fisting her or slapping her.. then she dies.. twisted bastard!!
Comment by Louis
November 27th, 2009 at 5:39 am
I was shocked it was a woman who was addicted to the game.
Comment by outlaw98
November 27th, 2009 at 10:51 am
The article's to vague to formulate an opinion. it doesn't explain why the mom didn't just find another doctor. And like most of the articles on this site, the title is misleading. The game didn't cause the baby's death, and neither did the doctor, like the article implies. The disease was the actual cause.
Comment by CharlieThomson
November 28th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
You often don't have a choice to find another doctor. You are assigned a doctor and there are no patient advocates or administrators to help you. Switching doctors would be a major problem of losing face. You probably don't have a choice to switch hospitals since you probably had to pay a large cash deposit to be admitted. And for "medical reasons" they will fight tooth and nail to keep you from transferring to another hospital. I saw this several times in Beijing, with ER doctors huddling in the back room playing games on the computer. If you find yourself in this situation, I recommend first finding another hospital that will admit you, then arranging the ambulance for transport, meanwhile continue to insist that you will transfer hospitals, and talk to every staff member to find out who will authorize the transfer. Last time we needed to transfer, after three hours or arguing the doctor finally capitulated after I agreed to use their ambulance service for the transport. It was only about 70 RMB. I think he was more annoyed that I kept walking into their staff room while they were trying to play online games.
Comment by DavidDeLuca
December 4th, 2009 at 12:51 am
I think the doctor is sick, so she shouldn´t die, she should be treated!
The proverb: An eye for an eye is quite old these days…
Comment by Mohammed Islam
December 4th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Guys you cant just formulate a statement and blame this lady with the vague information you were given. I understand that it was a truly devastating thing that had occured. I pray that this child goes to heaven but an eye for an eye is not for us to judge. She will get what she deserved,
Comment by Spiderbait
December 4th, 2009 at 1:06 am
nice sensationalistic headline there.. the game "caused" nothing. this child died due to an infection and negligence, the game caused nothing.
Comment by @Craftkiller
December 4th, 2009 at 1:56 am
The online game go?! my god whoever wrote this article must have no idea what Go is…. Go has been with us for thousands of years and is the hardest board game known to man… It doesn't justify the doctor's actions but the article makes it sound like the doctor was playing something pathetic like tower defense
Comment by John
December 4th, 2009 at 2:04 am
It's funny you guys can make comments like "like doctor deserves to die" when you don't even know the full details of the case. For all you know, the doctor might have already been working double over time, and refused to work another shift, went home to play a game on his own time. Would it matter if he went home to see his family? no, what you do on your time is your business. You just assume because he was logged in on a game, and someone died, now its his fault. I'm not taking anyways side here, but until all the information is there we shouldn't jump the gun.
Comment by John
December 4th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Right. Why are other people saying things like "let the doctor suffer for 50 years", what about the parents who wouldn't ask to see another doctor?
Comment by Makki
December 4th, 2009 at 2:17 am
but as a doctor, she is morally obliged to at assist people until proper handling is taken.
Comment by Really
December 4th, 2009 at 2:31 am
What does the author think Go is? A three thousand year old beta of World of Warcraft?
Comment by Karl
December 4th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Of course you realize that it goes further than just a moral obligation, though in my opinion turning down a sick infant because you don't wanna work anymore still would warrant a quite severe punishment. As a doctor you are not only morally obliged to assist those in need of your services but you are on call 24/7.
Comment by Marcus
December 4th, 2009 at 3:12 am
some people don't have there priorities in order.
Comment by Hans Wurst
December 4th, 2009 at 6:32 am
It's easy to post a comment. See, even I can do it.
Comment by Casey
December 4th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Wow! Thats a girl!? I bet there wouldn't be as much outrage though if the baby was a girl.
Comment by Gamer
December 5th, 2009 at 12:54 am
I have a problem with video games somehow being blamed for this. What an ignorant headline.