Airport says no; girl's leg cut off
By Liu Dan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-02-13 17:03

A young girl from Jiu Quan City of Northwest China's Gansu Province was forced to undergo a leg amputation in a hospital after being prevented from boarding a plane by an airport, which delayed crucial treatment.

Two nurses visit Xiaoqing with a bunch of flowers during the Spring Festival with her father standing beside. [sina]

For 14-year-old Xiaoqing (alias), it was an inauspicious day on January 15 this year. The minibus she was on, which was driven by one of her father's friends surnamed Niu, ran into a jeep on their way to the railway station to meet Xiaoqing's relatives. Xiaoqing's right foot and leg was badly injured.

Later, Niu reported the accident to the local police and informed Xiaoqing's family.

Although Xiaoqing was sent to the Jiuquan People's Hospital on time via a police van, she could not receive surgery due to the local doctor's poor medical skills.

Then the local doctor announced this incredible news to Xiaoqing's family: Unless the girl had surgery on her leg within 12 hours, she would lose her right foot.

Xiaoqing's father still nursed hopes in his heart and decided to send her to Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, to have the operation.

At noon, Niu helped to buy two tickets in Jiayuguan, the nearest city from Jiuquan City with an airport.

Time was precious for them. However, quite under the father's expectation airport staff prevented Xiaoqing and her father from boarding the plane after they saw Xiaoqing lying on a stretcher with a bandage on her leg.

To save his daughter's leg, Pi knelt down, begging the airport staff to let them get on the flight, but the captain resolvedly turned down them. They looked on as the plane took off helplessly.

After the airport's unmerciful refusal, they changed to a distant bus to get to Lanzhou. When they arrived at the hospital, it was 5:40 am of the next day, 18 hours after the accident.

The doctor-in-charge sorrowfully informed Xiaoqing's family that they had to amputate her right leg immediately after the examination, because part of the wounded leg had already began to get gangrene.

"We had explained my daughter's situation to the airport when buying the tickets. Since they sold the tickets to us, why not allow us to board it?" said Xiaoqing's father, still unclear as to the reason for the airport's refusal.

The father insisted that his daughter's leg could have been kept if they could have arrived at Lanzhou in time, saying the Jiayuguan Airport caused Xiaoqing's lifelong disability.

The airport explained that the concerning plane was a medium-sized plane that could not accommodate a stretcher, adding that Xiaoqing's serious injury condition was beyond expectation.

A legal expert said the air company should be held responsible about this incident. The air company authorized the booking office. Once it sold the passenger tickets, the airport has no right to prevent passengers from boarding.

According to the Aviation Law, an airport could only refuse those who have potential risk of life, such as a mother about to give birth. Otherwise, the air company is in violation.