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Hospitals Ordered to Pay 400 Million KRW in 'ER뺑뺑이' Death Case
🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

Hospitals Ordered to Pay 400 Million KRW in 'ER뺑뺑이' Death Case

From Dong-A Ilbo · (23h ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A court ordered two hospitals to pay 400 million KRW in damages to the family of a 4-year-old boy who died after experiencing 'ER뺑뺑이' (repeatedly being turned away from emergency rooms).
  • The boy underwent surgery for tonsillitis and was transferred to another hospital due to bleeding, but was allegedly refused treatment by the second hospital's ER and then by the first hospital again.
  • The court found both hospitals negligent in their handling of the emergency patient, contributing to the boy's death.

A tragic case of 'ER뺑뺑이,' where a child died after being denied treatment at multiple hospitals, has resulted in a significant court ruling. The Busan District Court ordered two medical institutions to pay 400 million KRW in damages to the bereaved family of the 4-year-old boy, Kim Dong-hee.

The incident, which occurred in October 2019, saw Kim undergo tonsillectomy surgery at Hospital A. Complications arose during recovery, leading to his transfer to Hospital B. However, the emergency room at Hospital B allegedly refused to treat him, instead handing him over to an ambulance without proper medical records. The ambulance crew then attempted to return him to Hospital A, which also reportedly refused treatment, claiming to be busy with another critical patient.

Tragically, the boy was eventually taken to a hospital about 20 kilometers away but never regained consciousness and passed away after months of treatment. The court's decision acknowledges the negligence of both Hospital A and the doctor on duty at Hospital B, highlighting a systemic failure in emergency medical care. This ruling underscores the critical need for improved protocols and accountability within South Korea's healthcare system to prevent such devastating outcomes for vulnerable patients.

Our country's medical accident cases are structured such that victims and their families can never know the truth, such as whether there was medical negligence, unless they file a criminal complaint.

— Korea Patient Organizations FederationThe Korea Patient Organizations Federation commented on the case, pointing out systemic issues in how medical accidents are handled and calling for legal reforms.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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