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A Chinese doctor has sparked outrage after being sentenced to two and a half years in prison for negligent homicide following the death of his girlfriend, whom he injected with an anesthetic 20 times in six hours in an attempt to treat her insomnia.
The doctor, identified by the surname Qu, is an anesthesiologist from a hospital in Jiajiang county, Leshan, Sichuan province. He met the victim, surnamed Chen, a pharmaceutical sales representative, on a dating app in 2022. Their relationship progressed, but Chen reportedly began requesting Qu to administer propofol, a potent anesthetic, to help her sleep.
From September 2023 to March 2024, Qu allegedly complied with Chen’s requests, administering propofol during their stays at hotels. On March 6, 2024, tragedy struck when Qu injected Chen with approximately 1,300 milligrams of the drug in over 20 doses through her ankle during a six-hour period from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Before leaving the hotel that morning, he left an additional 100 milligrams of propofol for Chen to use. When he returned later, he found Chen had died.
A subsequent medical examination determined the cause of death was acute propofol intoxication. Experts clarified that propofol is not approved for treating insomnia and that the amount used in this case far exceeded safe limits.
An anonymous employee from a major propofol manufacturer in Shanghai stated:
“Propofol is a short-acting anesthetic intended for inducing and maintaining anesthesia or sedation. Clinical dosages typically range between 1.5 to 12 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, depending on the procedure and patient’s age. The 1,300-milligram dose used here is dangerously excessive.”
Qu promptly reported the incident to the police and admitted to his actions. He also paid 400,000 yuan (US$55,000) in compensation to Chen’s family, who subsequently forgave him. On November 1, the People’s Court of Renshou county sentenced him to 2.5 years in prison, citing his confession, self-surrender, compensation, and the family’s forgiveness as mitigating factors.
