A shocking case of medical malpractice out of China’s Heze, Shandong Province has once again sparked outrage across Chinese social media. According to a now-viral post, a 10-year-old boy was left unable to eat or drink after what doctors described as a “routine operation” to remove a supposed abdominal tumor. His family says the surgery, which lasted nearly 14 hours, resulted in the removal of most of his digestive system, leaving him now dependent on intravenous nutrition just to stay alive.

“He can’t eat or drink,” the boy’s mother, known as Ms. Yue, said in a tearful post. “Almost all of his digestive and absorption organs are gone. They told us, ‘If you don’t sign [the documents], it means you’re refusing treatment.’”

The case, now under official investigation, has ignited a nationwide debate over medical accountability, informed consent, and the ethics of China’s county-level hospitals.