Pregnant Woman Refused by 25 Hospitals Flies 150 km to Safely Give Birth

A 35-week pregnant woman living in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, successfully gave birth after being transported by helicopter to Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, following rejections from 25 hospitals nationwide.

According to Jesus Hospital in Jeonju on October 8, a 30-something pregnant woman, A, who was at 35 weeks of gestation in Anseong, called 119 at 2:07 AM on October 1, reporting that her amniotic fluid was leaking.

Emergency responders determined that there was a high risk of premature birth and fetal infection due to premature rupture of membranes and began searching for a hospital to accommodate her.

However, after contacting 25 hospitals, including those operating high-risk maternal-neonatal integrated treatment center support programs across Gyeonggi Province, Seoul, and Chungcheong Province, they received rejections from all of them.

This was due to the difficulty in immediately securing medical staff and hospital beds capable of simultaneously handling the delivery of a high-risk pregnant woman and intensive care for a newborn.

Subsequently, the National Fire Agency requested assistance from Jesus Hospital at 3:30 AM that day, and the hospital decided to accept patient A.

Boarding a firefighting helicopter, patient A arrived at Jesus Hospital at 5:16 AM, traveling a distance of about 150 km, and successfully gave birth.

Hong Sang-ki, head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Jesus Hospital who performed the surgery, said, "The departments of obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and anesthesiology and pain medicine closely cooperated to save the lives of both the mother and the baby," adding, "Jesus Hospital will continue to faithfully fulfill its mission of saving lives in any crisis situation."

(Photo provided by Jesus Hospital, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.