SEOUL: A woman who was 29 weeks pregnant was airlifted 280km to Busan late on May 1 after six nearby hospitals declined to admit her, resulting in the death of the foetus, the fire authorities said on May 3.
According to the authorities, the woman had been admitted to an obstetrics clinic in Cheongju, North Gyeongsang province, due to bleeding.
The clinic called 119 – South Korea’s emergency telephone number for fires and ambulances – around 11pm after the foetal heart rate dropped.
Six hospitals refused the transfer, citing a shortage of available specialists, among other reasons. A helicopter took her to Donga University Hospital in Busan about 3½ hours after the initial call.
The foetus had already died by the time the mother reached the hospital. She is reportedly in stable condition.
South Korean ambulances cannot move a patient to an ER without the receiving hospital’s approval.
Refusals have grown more frequent in recent years, driven by chronic staff shortages and the medical staff’s fear of criminal charges if a patient dies in their care.
Doctors in South Korea are prosecuted for medical negligence at higher rates than those in other developed countries, according to multiple studies.
In February, a 28-week pregnant woman in Daegu showing signs of preterm labour was turned away by seven local hospitals before being moved to a hospital near Seoul, more than 230km away.
She delivered twins by emergency caesarean, but only one survived. - The Korea Herald/ANN
