Photos that show medical staff taking a group photo during an operation while a patient lies unconscious in the background have lead to outrage in China, but said they were just posing for a “commemorative moment.”

Zheng Xiaoju, director of the hand and foot surgery department at the Fengcheng Hospital in Xi’an, said the photos were taken in the late stages of an especially difficult operation on August 15 this year.

Zheng said through tears (seen above) that the surgery lasted for seven hours, forcing all medical staff to work without time for food or drink.

It was the height of summer and was very hot. Because the operating room (was in the process of) moving, there was no air conditioning. All we could do was turn on a small fan. Everyone was sweating all over. The operation lasted a long time, was very difficult, and everyone was very tired. Since the operating room wasn’t going to be used anymore, everyone wanted to take a souvenir picture to commemorate this special moment.

People had blasted the medical staff online, saying the photo was unprofessional.

Photos: China News Network, dahebao