Two Yan Chai Hospital staff members appeared in court on Monday on child abuse charges after a girl who was in their care suffered a cardiac arrest during a stitching procedure.

Registered nurse Cheung Tin-wing, 26, and patient care assistant Wan Mei-kwan, 62, face a count of "ill-treatment or neglect by those in charge of a child".

The pair were said to have been giving a four-year-old patient stitches to a head wound on May 25 when her heart stopped beating for 18 minutes.

The defendants were not required to enter a plea.

Sha Tin magistrate Cheang Kei-hong released them on bail of HK$10,000 and banned them from leaving Hong Kong.

They were also ordered not to contact any witnesses in the case and to report to the police twice a week.

The case was adjourned to December 23.