An unregistered practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a Hong Kong woman two years ago following an acupuncture session.

Police on Friday said the charge had been reclassified from practising traditional Chinese medicine without registration after consulting the Department of Justice on their investigation, including details from the autopsy of the 55-year-old victim.

The suspect also faces seven counts of practising traditional Chinese medicine without registration.

“Postmortem examination revealed that the cause of death was bilateral pneumothoraxes due to penetrative injuries to the back,” the force said, using the medical term for air around or outside the lung.

The victim received acupuncture treatment from the man, now 74, at around 9.35pm on December 10, 2020, at her home in Pat Heung.

An hour later, police received a report that the victim was suffering from breathing difficulties. She was subsequently taken to Pok Oi Hospital, where she was certified dead at 11.42pm on the same day.

Following his arrest, the suspect was taken to the Tuen Mun Court, where he faced a single count of practising traditional Chinese medicine without registration.

During their investigation, police found that the suspect had performed acupuncture on the victim on seven other occasions.

Chan Man-hon, the general secretary of Hong Kong’s Union of Frontline Chinese Medicine Practitioners, stopped short of commenting on the case but said the incorrect application of acupuncture could cause bilateral pneumothoraxes, although death was rare in such instances.

“In general, when we perform acupuncture on patients’ backs, we insert the needles from a tilted angle and shallowly,” he said.

The case will be heard at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.