Chinese man ends up in ICU after getting acupuncture at a cybercafe

A man in China almost lost his life when an acupuncture session was performed by an unauthorised practitioner who claimed he could treat a benign tumour for him, according to a report from South China Morning Post. The man, Gao, had been diagnosed as having a fibroma, a type of benign tumour, under his shoulder blade. His wife, Zhang, located a "doctor" via a friend in Henan province, who did not have a medical licence. The “doctor” completely disregarded the previous diagnosis, calling the lump an "air bump" that would disappear after a few acupuncture sessions. 

The first treatment was administered on February 22 in a lounge attached to a cybercafe owned by the friend. Just after several needles were thrust into his back, Gao began losing his ability to breathe while simultaneously becoming incontinent. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors set a diagnosis of respiratory failure and pneumothorax; that is, his lungs had been punctured. Gao was admitted to the ICU in critical condition and managed to survive only due to emergency intervention; the doctors later stated that he would surely have died had he come in even a minute later.

The unqualified man initially vowed to take accountability and willingly face the consequences, but later, he suspended all communication and even blocked Zhang online. In her quest for justice, Zhang approached Henan TV and went to the house of the man, where the man's father admitted that his son was a "barefoot doctor," signifying that he practisced medicine without a formal licence.

A representative from the local health commission said that they have submitted documents to the police and the procuratorate requesting the man's arrest. According to a local lawyer named Li Bo, the practitioner will face charges of illegal medical practice. Under Chinese law, anyone who performs medical procedures without a licensce and causes serious harm can face up to ten years in jail.

In China, social media users have called out the recklessness of the couple and their friend with one user stating “He was really lucky to have survived. They only had themselves to blame for trusting barefoot doctors without a licence.”  Another user commented “I am shocked by their ignorance and nonchalance about receiving medical treatment at a cybercafe.”