The health authority of Xiangxiang, Hunan province, has ordered all medical institutions in the city not to refuse treatment to patients if they are unable to pay at the time.

The order came after an emergency medical center delayed the transfer of an ailing baby boy to Changsha until his parents had paid upfront. The baby later died.

According to a report in Sanxiang City Express on Monday, a woman surnamed Tan brought her 1-year-old son to Xiangxiang People's Hospital on Dec 23. The hospital decided that the boy should be immediately transferred to a better-equipped hospital in Changsha, which is more than 100 km away.