In a shocking incident in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, an anesthesiologist, identified by his surname Qu, has been implicated in a tragic case involving his partner, Chen, a pharmaceutical sales representative. According to the South China Morning Post, he caused his girlfriend’s death by attempting to treat her insomnia with repeated anaesthetic injections. He administered the anaesthesia more than 20 times in six hours, leading to her death. This incident has sparked significant online outrage in China, with many slamming the doctor’s actions despite his claims of trying to help. 

Notably, the two met through an online dating platform in the summer of 2022. Qu, who works at a hospital in Jinjiang County, Leshan, allegedly administered propofol, a powerful anaesthesia, to Chen in hotel rooms on multiple occasions between September 2023 and March 2024. Chen had requested the medication to alleviate her insomnia.

On March 6, Qu administered approximately 1,300 mg of propofol to Chen, through her ankle over six hours, from 11 pm to 5 am. He provided 20+ doses, followed by an additional 100 mg for her to use later. Upon returning to the hotel, Qu discovered Chen had died. A medical examination confirmed that the cause of her death was acute propofol intoxication.

Qu promptly reported the incident to authorities, confessed to his actions, and later provided financial compensation of 400,000 yuan (US$55,000) to Chen’s relatives, who forgave him.

A Shanghai-based representative from a leading propofol manufacturer told The Post that propofol is not intended for treating insomnia and that the dosages used in this case drastically exceeded safe limits.

“Propofol is a short-acting general anaesthetic used primarily for inducing and maintaining general anaesthesia and sedation. Typically, clinical doses for anaesthesia induction are 1.5-2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight. For maintenance of anaesthesia, the doses usually range from 4-12 mg per kilogram, while sedation doses vary from 1.5-4.5 mg per kilogram, adjusted according to the procedure and patient’s age,” the employee explained.

She added, “An injection dose of 1,300 mg is significantly higher than standard treatment protocols. Fatalities from excessive use of anaesthetics like this are not uncommon. Besides, drug abuse, apart from safety issues, can lead to addiction.”

On November 1, the People’s Court of Renshou County in Sichuan Province delivered a verdict, sentencing anesthesiologist Qu to two and a half years in prison for negligent homicide.

The court took into account mitigating factors, including, Qu’s voluntary surrender to authorities, his full confession, financial compensation to the victim’s family and the family’s forgiveness. These factors contributed to a relatively lenient sentence.