Doctor in long-delayed hearing over blunder says he thought baby was choking

Dr Sit Sou-chi reveals for first time his initial diagnosis for Li Yuanjian, who was left disabled, but parents refuse to accept his testimony

A Hong Kong doctor accused of a blunder that left a boy permanently disabled 16 years ago said he did not return to the hospital to examine the infant immediately as he initially diagnosed the emergency as a choking case, the Medical Council heard on Sunday.

Testifying for the first time at the hearing, Dr Sit Sou-chi contested an allegation that he had failed to conduct all necessary and immediate investigations of newborn Li Yuanjian, the son of a mainland Chinese couple, after he had a seizure on December 22, 2009, at Baptist Hospital.

The child was left with cerebral palsy and quadriplegia, unable to care for himself for life.

Sit said he was first notified of the child’s condition at 4.30am by nurse Ho Kit-ha, who called him while he was sleeping.

He said Ho told him the baby had slightly choked on milk and his limbs had stiffened about an hour ago. But the boy was stabilised in 15 seconds after the nurse suctioned milk from his airway, the doctor said. The infant then remained stable, he added.

Sit claimed the nurse also said the baby was “OK and no problem” before 3.30am.