SEOUL — A heart disease patient in her 60s died in Busan last month after delays in finding a hospital able to perform necessary surgery exacerbated her condition, highlighting severe systemic issues in the region's healthcare services.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the woman, who was working in a farming field in Gimhae, experienced severe chest pains and dialed the 119 emergency number for help. Rescue workers initially contacted six hospitals in South Gyeongsang Province, but all refused admission. It was only after considerable delay that a hospital in Busan agreed to take her in; however, they too were unprepared to perform the surgery immediately.
Upon arrival at the Busan hospital, the patient underwent several medical tests and was diagnosed with aortic dissection, a serious condition requiring prompt surgical intervention. Nearly five hours after the initial emergency call, she was transferred to a general university hospital in Busan where surgery was available. Tragically, she died that night while being prepared for the operation.
The patient's daughter has publicly voiced her frustration and sorrow, blaming the protracted wait and lack of immediate medical response for her mother's death. "I am very upset and sad at the thought that my mother may have survived if she had been admitted to a general university hospital in the first place," she stated. She also criticized the ongoing medical staffing issues as contributing to her mother's untimely death.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of a nearly two-month-long strike by trainee doctors throughout the country, protesting a government plan to increase medical school admissions quotas. The strike has led to a 'medical vacuum,' causing delays and disruptions in healthcare services across South Korea.