Kim Ji-won performed a surgery that everyone else refused.
On the October 16 broadcast of SBS's "Doctor X: Mafia in White," Gye Su-jeong, whose identity as Doctor X was revealed, saved another patient.
During the episode, Gye Su-jeong performed surgery on a sanitation worker who collapsed inside the hospital. A heated debate broke out over whether to transfer the patient due to the absence of a neurosurgery (NS) specialist, with others arguing that transferring would cause them to miss the golden hour. Unable to merely stand by while every second counted, Gye Su-jeong stepped in.
The other doctors demanded that the surgery be halted, insisting that Gye Su-jeong, who lacked an NS board certification, should not perform the operation. Just as Boo Seung-kwon was about to head into the operating room himself, Jang Hee-sook appeared and stunned everyone by presenting Gye Su-jeong's specialist certification documents, saying, "These are Dr. Gye Su-jeong's NS board documents."
Cho Won-jin, who accompanied Gye Su-jeong into the operating room, encouraged the team, saying, "If we don't succeed, this patient will die right where they swept and cleaned every single day. There isn't a single spot in this hospital that this person's hands haven't touched. Let's see this through to the end."
And once again, Gye Su-jeong did not fail. She completed the procedure in a short amount of time, prompting an impressed Kim Sung-jin to remark, "What on earth is that person?" Boo Seung-kwon agreed, saying, "The surgery is flawless. It's been a long time since I've seen an operation like this."
However, Gye Su-jeong's decision to operate threw Seonam Hospital into turmoil. The neurosurgery specialists who arrived late raised objections, demanding to know why she had not waited for them.
This reignited the story of a paramedic who died the previous year after collapsing in the hospital, when staff failed to save him.
Someone carrying a sense of guilt over his death had posted an online exposé alleging hospital negligence regarding the incident. Kim Sung-jin confessed that he was the author, venting his frustration: "Does the hospital truly bear zero responsibility? Is this really something to dismiss by blaming Dr. Seo's fate?"
In response, the specialists who had faced criticism at the time protested feeling wronged, saying, "Doctors are human, too. Do we really have to stay glued to patients 24 hours a day like that every single day?"
Hearing this, Gye Su-jeong retorted, "Are you the only human beings? The patient is a human being, too." As the specialist grew furious at Gye Su-jeong's informal speech, she delivered sharp words: "So do you make no effort to be doctors? Are you merely human beings? Then when do you actually act as doctors? Only when you're at the hospital, or just once in a while?"
She then explained the condition of the patient who had been in danger that day. However, the attending physicians cared little about the patient's well-being or circumstances. Instead, they made harsh remarks, stating that because the worker had come to work, it was their fate to live. They then challenged Gye Su-jeong, who led the surgery, asking, "Are you that confident? Can you guarantee there won't be a rupture or any complications?"
Gye Su-jeong commanded attention by replying, "I never fail." Watching all of this, Boo Seung-kwon voiced his frustration, saying, "Aren't you ashamed? You assign blame even over a single trash can, so why on earth does nobody take responsibility when a human life is at stake?"
Afterward, Boo Seung-kwon held a press conference and bowed his head in apology regarding the paramedic's death that occurred during the previous director's tenure. He stated, "The trust that as long as you work in this hospital, if you are injured or collapse, you will receive proper care and will safely return home after work—this hospital betrayed that trust. For this, I sincerely apologize to the bereaved family, the citizens who were disappointed, and our hospital family."
Jang Hee-sook then presented Boo Seung-kwon with a new contract for Gye Su-jeong, requesting compensation befitting her triple-board certification. Furthermore, Gye Su-jeong laid down her own condition: "I will not work in a department I do not want."
However, surgeon Na Dae-il made an entrance, prompting Boo Seung-kwon to put Gye Su-jeong's additional contract on hold and sparking curiosity about what will happen next.
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