South Korean hospital to close after repeated patient deaths

Banguidae Hospital, a mental health facility in Ulsan, South Korea, has decided to close its doors by September 3, a move prompted by a recent patient death and a series of previous fatalities that have led to police investigations and national scrutiny. The hospital's administrative director informed the Ulsan District Health Center of the decision and inquired about closure procedures, with final board approval still pending.

The latest incident, a death within the fifth ward on August 2, appears to have been the final catalyst for the abrupt closure. This follows a pattern of serious incidents at the hospital over the past five years, including the deaths of four severely intellectually disabled patients due to assault by other patients, and another patient falling to their death in June. The hospital has been under investigation by the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ulsan Metropolitan City.

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Another death occurred within the fifth ward two days ago, leading to the hasty decision to close.

Despite previous investigations and a visit from the Vice Minister of Health and Welfare in July, the hospital had not shown signs of closure until now. Health officials suggested that the cumulative stress on staff from investigations, coupled with the latest death, pushed the corporate entity to make the decision. The hospital had previously denied responsibility for patient deaths, attributing them to assaults by other patients and claiming a lack of management and supervision failures.

Banguidae Hospital, often called the "end hospital," has served as a final refuge for severely intellectually disabled individuals whom other psychiatric facilities refuse to admit. Currently, it houses 202 patients, with 63.8% being developmentally disabled. The impending closure raises significant concerns about the transfer of these vulnerable patients, many of whom have limited communication abilities and whose families reside across the country. The hospital, operated by the social welfare corporation Donghyangwon, has a history of controversy, including a past refusal to cooperate with human rights investigations, which resulted in a fine.

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We thought that with visits from the Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, we could prevent such incidents, but another unfortunate event occurred, leading the corporation to decide on closure.