A hospital in eastern China's Anhui Province was under fire for refusing to save a woman who gained consciousness an hour after seeming to die in labor.

Authorities of Ping'an Hospital in Hanshan County finally offered the husband Tang Zezhi 310,000 yuan (US$46,487) as compensation for losing his 29-year-old wife Pei Chuanqin, Workers' Daily reported yesterday.

Pei was admitted into the hospital on July 28, after the hospital director promised to bring in a maternity expert. However, Pei was taken into maternity ward after one hour, apparently without the expert in attendance. The doctors later came out urging Tang to donate his blood to save Pei, who heavily bled in labor.

Nurses took Tang's blood, whose type was different from Pei, ignoring Tang's doubts over his wife's safety. Pei was said to have died of hemorrhagic shock.

After roughly an hour, Tang saw Pei open up her eyes and ask for help in a weak voice. Tang at once called for doctors, but they shunned him even after he knelt on the floor.