File Photo: A flight of China Southern Airlines

A passenger surnamed Zhang posed an accusation article on social media on Sunday, exposing the delayed medical emergency treatment he had experienced riding with China Southern Airlines. The case soon went high-profile both online and off-line.

Mr. Zhang, describing himself as a journalist at a provincial-level media, took flight CZ6101 on the morning of November 9 from northeastern China's Shenyang City to Beijing. One hour after the takeoff, Mr. Zhang reported an acute ache in his belly to the flight attendants, who called for an ambulance at the destination Beijing Capital International Airport.

However, according to Zhang, it took 50 minutes for the cabin door to be opened after the airplane landed, as his pain grew even more unbearable with every passing minute.

When the door was finally opened, the emergency staff boarded the flight without a stretcher. Neither the cabin crew nor the emergency staff was willing to help Mr. Zhang descend the icy stairs, for fear of taking responsibily if anything should happen.

"They quarel so fiercely, almost to the brink of a fight, and I was left aside this whole time!" Mr. Zhang said.

At last he decided he had had enough of it. He painstakingly climed down the stairs and onto the ambulance without any help offered by either side of the staff.

Zhang was later sent to the hospital, and had an emergency surgery to remove a 0.8-meter necrotic intestine. 

The China Southern Airlines and Beijing Capital International Airport issued a statement on Monday, making apologies to the passenger and claiming that they will launch an investigation into this incident.