[Anchor]
We previously reported on the tragic case of a newborn who passed away after failing to receive timely treatment following the resignation of the only professor responsible for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a university hospital in the Jeonbuk region.
Reporter Han Sung-hee investigates the reality of night shifts to understand why doctors are leaving neonatal intensive care units one by one.
[Reporter]
It is 5:50 PM, just before the start of the night shift.
Professor Lee Byung-guk, who treats neonatal patients in the Sejong and Chungbuk regions, has already been working for 40 hours since early the previous morning.
[Lee Byung-guk / Professor of Neonatal Intensive Care, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: There was a patient in critical condition between Sunday and Monday, so I started work at 2:00 AM and have been on duty until 6:00 PM on Wednesday.]
That amounts to 64 consecutive hours of work.
Professor Lee must be solely responsible for the intensive care unit again tonight.
The 20 beds are already full, mostly with premature babies born before 37 weeks.
The so-called on-call status, which requires 24-hour availability, is maintained 365 days a year.
The presence of a neonatologist is essential to saving a baby's life, such as in procedures like inserting an arterial line for a baby with low blood pressure.
[Lee Byung-guk / Professor of Neonatal Intensive Care, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: The radial artery (in the baby's wrist) is extremely small. I have to feel the pulse directly to find it. It is not something that is visible to the eye.]
Past midnight.
He frequently checks the heart of a baby nicknamed "Teunteuni," who weighs less than 600 grams.
[Lee Byung-guk / Professor of Neonatal Intensive Care, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: This baby is in a very difficult situation, so, honestly, my heart hopes that the baby survives.]
He misses his dinner time and settles for a convenience store sandwich and milk in the research office right next to the intensive care unit.
After 1:00 AM, he tries to catch a brief nap, but wakes up an hour later to check on the babies again.
There are only 65 neonatal intensive care units across the country, and only 199 neonatologists.
Even of those, 65% are located in the Seoul metropolitan area.
As seen recently at Chonbuk National University Hospital, the departure of just one person can jeopardize the operation of an entire unit, making 24-hour or longer consecutive shifts a daily reality for neonatologists.
[Lee Byung-guk / Professor of Neonatal Intensive Care, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: I am struggling a bit due to a herniated disc in my neck, but I am holding on. If something were to happen to me tomorrow, this place would be left empty.]
Because the treatment is complex, the compensation is low, and there is a risk of legal liability if a baby's condition worsens despite the grueling work, there have been no applicants for the residency program to succeed Professor Lee for seven years.
Professor Lee still remembers the words left by the last resident who worked with him.
[Lee Byung-guk / Professor of Neonatal Intensive Care, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: (The resident said) 'I think this is such a wonderful job. But I cannot do it, and neither can my family.']
After finishing his rounds at daybreak, Professor Lee left in a hurry to give a lecture at the medical school.
He still has 10 more hours to go before he can finish his shift.
Reported by Lee Byung-ju | Video by Kim Jong-tae
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