Autopsy to be conducted on Hong Kong woman who fainted then died after acupuncture
'Sudden and rare' death after treatment at clinic may be referred to coroner: health minister
An autopsy will be carried out on Friday on a woman who died after receiving acupuncture treatment at a traditional Chinese medicine centre in Causeway Bay.
The death of Yim Tsz-man, 29, might be referred to the coroner for further investigation, including any possible link to her treatment, the health minister said. Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man described her death as "sudden and rare".
On Thursday night Yim, a clerk who weighed 91kg, complained of leg pain and sought a consultation at the clinic, on the sixth floor of Yeung Iu Chi Commercial Building in Jaffe Road.
Yim, who also had an unspecified allergy that affected her nose, underwent acupuncture administered by a 32-year-old male registered practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, a police source said.
"After the treatment, which lasted for about half an hour, she rested in the treatment room," the source said. "About 15 minutes later, she reportedly had a seizure and then fainted."
He added that Yim had sought more than 40 consultations at the clinic since 2012.
The practitioner called police at about 8.45pm, but a police spokesman said the woman was dead on arrival at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai.