Chinese man declared dead by medics and cremated shocks his family when he returns home ALIVE after hospital 'mistook another patient for him'

  • The 43-year-old's family called police after the man went missing in Chongqing 
  • Mr Jiao was claimed to be treated at a Wenzhou hospital and have died later
  • His family was astounded to see him return home alive after cremating the body
  • The doctors said that they had mistaken another man who looked like Mr Jiao

A Chinese man who was previously pronounced dead by doctors has reportedly returned home alive, leaving his family members astounded. 

The 43-year-old, known by his surname Jiao, showed up two months after his family had thrown a funeral service for him and cremated a body taken from a hospital.

The man's frightened uncle told local media that the whole family was so shocked they thought Jiao had 'come back to life'. The hospital claimed medics had mistaken another deceased patient for Mr Jiao because the two looked extremely alike.

The 43-year-old, known by his surname Jiao, astounded his family upon returning home alive two months later after they had thrown a funeral service for him and cremated a body taken from the hospital. The file picture shows a brown casket at a funeral service in China

The 43-year-old, known by his surname Jiao, astounded his family upon returning home alive two months later after they had thrown a funeral service for him and cremated a body taken from the hospital. The file picture shows a brown casket at a funeral service in China

A Chinese man who was declared dead by medics and cremated has shocked his family while returning home after hospital 'mistook another patient for him'. The file picture shows a woman worshiping her deceased ancestors in front of the family grave site in Hong Kong

A Chinese man who was declared dead by medics and cremated has shocked his family while returning home after hospital 'mistook another patient for him'. The file picture shows a woman worshiping her deceased ancestors in front of the family grave site in Hong Kong

Mr Jiao, who is said to have suffered mental illness, went missing from his home in south-western Chinese city Chongqing earlier this year, according to his uncle, known by his surname Liu.

The worried family reported to police in March after failing to locate Mr Jiao.

They were contacted by police in early April, saying that the man was being treated at a hospital in Wenzhou of China's eastern province Zhejiang.

The family arrived at the hospital the next day. They were told by the doctors that Mr Jiao was unlikely to survive from suffering serious infectious diseases caused by tuberculosis (TB).

Mr Jiao's uncle said that he was unable to identify his 'nephew', who was covered in a mask while being supported by an oxygen machine.

The medics also prevented the family from seeing Mr Jiao up close over concerns of catching the coronavirus, Mr Liu told the local media Wenzhou Evening Newspaper.

The family decided to bring the dying patient back home and spent 12,000 yuan (£1,368) on the transport.

But the man was declared dead by the doctors after all treatment failed while being taken back to Chongqing.

The family did not see the body after it was immediately sent to a crematorium in Chongqing due to coronavirus restrictions.

The devastated family spent another sum of 140,000 yuan (£15,965) on throwing a grand funeral service for Mr Jiao.

The medics claimed that they had mistaken another deceased patient for Mr Jiao because the two looked extremely alike. The file picture taken on April 3 shows a man cleans a grave during the Qing Ming festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, at a cemetery in Shanghai, China

The medics claimed that they had mistaken another deceased patient for Mr Jiao because the two looked extremely alike. The file picture taken on April 3 shows a man cleans a grave during the Qing Ming festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, at a cemetery in Shanghai, China

The 43-year-old, known by his surname Jiao, astounded his family upon returning home alive two months later after they had thrown a funeral service for him and cremated a body taken from the hospital. The file picture taken on March 25 shows workers presenting flowers in memory of dead people during a remote tomb-sweeping ceremony in Nanjing, Jiangsu

The 43-year-old, known by his surname Jiao, astounded his family upon returning home alive two months later after they had thrown a funeral service for him and cremated a body taken from the hospital. The file picture taken on March 25 shows workers presenting flowers in memory of dead people during a remote tomb-sweeping ceremony in Nanjing, Jiangsu

While the family was dealing with grief, Mr Jiao's uncle received a surprising phone call from the police in late May.

The officers in Shangrao, Jiangxi province of south-eastern China said that they had found a homeless man who claimed to be Mr Jiao.

With the police's help, the Chongqing resident returned home safe and sound and was finally reunited with his family on June 5.

Due to his mental condition, Mr Jiao was unable to explain how he travelled nearly 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) from Chongqing to Shangrao, the Chinese media said.

The hospital in Wenzhou told the local newspaper that the doctors had accidentally identified another man, who remains unnamed, as Mr Jiao because the two looked extremely alike.

The medical workers claimed that the patient was carrying Mr Jiao's ID when he was rushed to the hospital. 

Mr Jiao’s uncle said that he was unable to identify his ‘nephew’, who was covered in a mask while being supported by an oxygen machine. The file picture taken on March 1 shows treating a critical coronavirus patient with ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) in Wuhan

Mr Jiao's uncle said that he was unable to identify his 'nephew', who was covered in a mask while being supported by an oxygen machine. The file picture taken on March 1 shows treating a critical coronavirus patient with ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) in Wuhan

'The doctors had checked the ID photo with the patient and they looked really alike,' said Dr Liu Xiao, a chief ER doctor at the Chinese Traditional Medicine Hospital of Wenzhou.

'We took a picture and sent it to the police. It was the police's responsibility to identify the person and contact the family,' Dr Liu added.

The medics said that the two men both had been previously diagnosed with TB, causing the doctors confused with their identities.

The hospital also claimed that the health workers had allowed Mr Jiao's family to identify the patient.

Zhu Jing, a matron at the hospital, said: 'If the family couldn't identify the patient, how are we supposed to do that?'

Mr Jiao's family has demanded compensation from the Wenzhou hospital for mistaking someone else for the Chongqing man.

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