Regained Consciousness After 20 Minutes,
Refused Hospital Transfer
A man in China collapsed from cardiac arrest at a train station but regained consciousness after about 20 minutes and shocked everyone by refusing to be taken to the hospital, saying he had to go to work.
According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 11th (local time), the incident occurred on the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, February 4th, at a train station in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. A man in his 40s, Mr. A, suddenly collapsed while standing in line on the platform to board a train.
At the time, the man was in cardiac arrest, with no pulse and weak breathing, indicating a critical condition. However, station staff and doctors from a nearby large hospital arrived and performed emergency treatment, and Mr. A barely regained consciousness about 20 minutes later.
However, as soon as Mr. A regained consciousness, he shocked everyone by saying, "I have to catch the train to go to work." He refused to be transported to the hospital or receive follow-up treatment, citing work as the reason.
The doctor who arrived at the scene strongly recommended that he undergo a thorough examination at the hospital, saying, "There is a possibility that he hit his head on the ground during the collapse." After persistent persuasion by the doctor, Mr. A finally agreed to take an ambulance to the hospital.
As Mr. A’s story spread through social media (SNS) and other channels, it caused a significant reaction among Chinese netizens. Local netizens expressed their sympathy with comments such as, "It’s heartbreaking that the first thing he thought of upon waking was that he had to earn money," "He might have a job where missing work means getting fired," "It doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem; most people carry heavy burdens like loans and children’s education expenses," and "Losing a job is worse than death."
China has recorded high unemployment rates in recent years, and sudden deaths due to long working hours have frequently occurred. In November last year, a man in his 30s in Shandong Province died of heart disease after working overtime for eight consecutive days, and in 2022, a man in his 20s working at an internet company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, collapsed and died after working overnight for three consecutive days and then going to work the next day.
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, as of April 2023, the average weekly working hours of Chinese employees was 48.8 hours, setting a new record for the longest working hours in 20 years since weekly working hours were first recorded in 2003. This is 8.8 hours more than the 40 hours guaranteed by the Labor Contract Law, which mandates an 8-hour workday and a 5-day workweek, meaning that under a 5-day workweek system, people worked an average of 9.76 hours per day.
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