The aftermath is spreading following a police search and seizure over the death of a 4-month-old infant who was receiving treatment at the pediatric emergency specialty medical center of Ajou University Hospital, a core hub for pediatric emergency medical care in the southern Gyeonggi region.
Beginning with the resignation of a pediatric emergency specialist at Ajou University Hospital in protest of the police's coercive investigation, pediatric emergency specialists at nearby centers have also successively expressed their intent to resign. As a result, discussions on returning the designation of the pediatric emergency specialty center and fears of a massive vacuum in the pediatric emergency medical system are becoming a reality.
As criticisms poured in on domestic and international online communities, arguing that it was an "overzealous investigation ignoring the special circumstances of emergency room settings," the controversy heated up, prompting the political sphere to step in as well.
The People Power Party announced that it will adopt the head of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency's metropolitan investigation unit as a witness for the Health and Welfare Committee's comprehensive audit on October 27 to verify the circumstances leading to the launch of the coercive investigation.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter of the People Power Party also issued a joint statement, demanding, "What is Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae doing in the face of an issue on which the lives of 1.92 million children depend?" and urging the presentation of preventive measures against a pediatric emergency medical vacuum.
Previously in July, a 4-month-old infant of Uzbek nationality showed cyanosis and a drop in oxygen saturation during outpatient treatment at Ajou University Hospital. The infant was transferred to the pediatric emergency specialty medical center and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation for over an hour, but ultimately passed away.
Afterward, the parents of the deceased baby filed a complaint with the police alleging medical malpractice, and the police raided the pediatric emergency room of Ajou University Hospital on September 30.
Regarding this, Lee Ji-sook, head of the Pediatric Emergency Specialty Medical Center at Ajou University Hospital, vented her anger, saying, "From the very day the young patient died, the forensic science team entered with cameras," and added, "Amid the humiliation of medical staff being treated like criminals, it is difficult to continue providing medical treatment any longer."
[Lee Ji-sook / Head of Ajou University Hospital Pediatric Emergency Specialty Center (October 15): They photographed with cameras the resuscitation room where our child had not even left yet and all treatment procedures had not finished, and treated the nurses and doctors present at the scene like criminals.]
Amid the controversy surrounding the appropriateness of the police investigation, points are being raised that clear institutional standards reflecting the unique nature of medical settings must be established.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Jang Yu-jin | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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