Old woman left to die in open field in China
Some call it a tradition. To others, it's a travesty.
An elderly woman from Pizhou in China's Jiansu province was left to die in an open field last week, according to a report on Sina News.
The old woman survived for a few days in the state that she was abandoned in - wrapped in thick, dirty quilts.
News website Mirrorfinance Monitor reported, from a Sina News article, that passers-by who spotted her informed the local authorities who then sent her to a hospital where she later died.
Since news of the incident surfaced, netizens have hotly debated an ancient Asian version of senicide or geronticide which involves leaving the aged in the forests to die from the elements or to be eaten by animals.
Also called into question was China's healthcare facilities for the poor and aged.
News website People.cn reported that on Weibo, the Pizhou government responded to the incident by saying that when medical staff arrived on the scene, the old woman was already unconscious and in critical condition.
After she was rushed to the hospital, her condition stabilised but she died shortly after.
The woman's identity is still unknown and the government is asking for people with information to come forward and help to identify her.
Source: Microfinance Monitor, Sina News, People.cn
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