(Minghui.org) An elderly woman in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, developed serious medical conditions while serving a one-year prison sentence for her faith in Falun Gong. When Ms. Tong Jinping was taken to a police hospital in early 2023, she thought she was just going to be examined. The doctor, however, drew 17 vials of blood from her without explaining why. Given the ongoing crime of forced organ harvesting that targets Falun Gong practitioners in China, she suspected the doctor was taking her blood to do organ matching.
According to Ms. Tong (who was released on June 16, 2023, from the Jiujiang City Detention Center where she served her time), while she was detained, she developed diabetes and high blood pressure. She had a bloated abdomen, and areas of her body festered due to complications of the diabetes. Even walking was difficult.
The guards took Ms. Tong to the Balihu Branch of the Jiujiang City First Hospital twice in the first half of 2023. (The Balihu Branch is under the supervision of the police.) The doctor drew four vials of blood from her the first time and 17 the second time. According to her past experience, Ms. Tong said that two vials of blood were usually sufficient for typical lab tests. The doctor refused to tell her why he needed that much blood from her and it’s also not clear if the doctor ever gave her any results from the tests.
Ms. Tong’s health became even worse after the blood draws. Now, nearly six months after she was released, she still feels cold and weak.
Ms. Tong’s ordeal stemmed from her arrest on June 16, 2022. The Jiujiang City Intermediate Court held a virtual hearing of her case on January 13, 2023, and later sentenced her to one year with a 5,000-yuan fine.
While Ms. Tong was perfectly healthy before her arrest, she developed severe diabetes in custody. Her abdomen was so bloated that she looked pregnant. She was unable to take care of herself and needed help to use the restroom.
Related reports:
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Grandmother of Two Tried for Her Faith, Two Grandchildren Depending on Her Care in Dire Situation
Grandma Detained for Her Faith, Two Grandchildren Traumatized
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