Question
When my son was 42 days old, due to the delay in our visit to the hospital, the doctor who performed the hearing screening had already left, and he did not get it done. Moreover, the doctor at that time did not mention the hearing screening. They said that if the doctor came again, they would notify us. However, they never notified us. Eight months later, we discovered at the First People’s Hospital that my son is congenitally deaf. What kind of compensation can we demand from this hospital?
Answer
Currently, the Ministry of Health stipulates that newborn hearing screenings be conducted within 2-7 days. For babies born in hospitals, screenings usually start within 72 hours after birth to timely identify any hearing impairments in newborns. If the newborn hearing screening is not passed, another attempt can be made before discharge. If it’s still not passed, a follow-up screening must be conducted, which involves revisiting the hospital at the baby’s 42nd day. In China, the main hearing screening instruments used are Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR). The results of the screenings are indicated as either “passed” or “not passed”.