Tongji Hospital, affiliated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei province, suspended a team of on-duty doctors on 13/3 following an incident where a male patient was left on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for six hours, as reported by 163.

The hospital's announcement stated the event occurred in the early morning of 26/2 at the Hankou branch's imaging department. Medical staff had taken Mr. Duong into room 2 for a neck MRI. Around midnight, after his head was immobilized and he was fitted with a specialized mask, the supervising female doctor departed to attend to other duties. Before leaving the room, she updated the electronic system with a "completed" status and instructed a colleague to take over. However, the incoming shift worker neglected to check the machine's chamber.

MRI room where the patient was forgotten in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. *Cover News*

For six hours during the night, Mr. Duong repeatedly called for help, but no one responded. Lying motionless in the confined space, he considered trying to get out. However, the continuous hum of the operating equipment made him fear potential health risks, leading him to remain still and endure the situation. Concurrently, his wife contacted the police after losing communication with her husband. Hospital security personnel reviewed electronic records, which indicated the procedure concluded at 0:10 AM, leaving the family at a dead end in their search. It was not until 6:00 AM that one cleaner entered to tidy up, discovered the calls for help, and alerted security to open the door, allowing Mr. Duong to be brought out in an exhausted state.

A hospital representative clarified that magnetic resonance imaging equipment requires a stable magnetic field and extremely low temperatures, so technicians typically do not power it off midway through operations. Imaging specialists also confirmed that prolonged lying inside an MRI chamber does not harm the body, as the method utilizes magnetic waves and emits no ionizing radiation, unlike X-ray or CT scans.

Tongji Hospital has extended its apologies and offered Mr. Duong a comprehensive health check-up. As an agreement on compensation has not yet been reached, the hospital has advised the patient's family to initiate legal proceedings to resolve the matter in accordance with legal regulations.