Police Raid on Ajou University Hospital Sparks Fallout Amid Outrage Over Infant Death Investigation

The fallout is widening following the Gyeongbu Southern Provincial Police Agency's search and seizure operation at the Pediatric Emergency Medical Center of Ajou University Hospital.

The incident began in July when a 4-month-old infant of Uzbek nationality was brought to the hospital in cardiac arrest. Despite medical staff performing CPR for over an hour, the infant passed away.

Lee Ji-sook, head of the Pediatric Emergency Medical Center at Ajou University Hospital, stated during a press conference held at the National Assembly on October 15, "Immediately after the infant's death, the parents reported the matter to 112. Two detectives entered the emergency room, followed by three crime scene investigators holding cameras."

As the parents of the deceased infant filed a complaint against the medical staff alleging medical malpractice, police proceeded to conduct a raid on the emergency center on September 30.

Medical staff at the scene expressed intense anger, stating, "Amid the urgent treatment situation, the investigative team inspected medical computers and took photographs, severely disrupting emergency care."

Amid backlash from the medical community, testimonies emerged that pediatric emergency specialists—including one specialist from Ajou University Hospital's pediatric emergency center—have submitted their resignations and are leaving their posts.

As concerns grow over the potential paralysis of the pediatric emergency medical system, with discussions even arising regarding some hospitals returning their pediatric emergency center designations, criticism is being directed not only at the police but also at the parents of the deceased infant.

Online communities have been flooded with criticisms and concerns from netizens, such as, "Filing a complaint against medical staff who did their best to save a life and even calling the police goes too far," and "Overzealous investigations that ignore the special circumstances of the emergency room ultimately result in greater harm, namely gaps in pediatric emergency care."

In response, the police explained that the search and seizure was not an excessive investigation, stating, "We only conducted minimal checks for 17 minutes after patient treatment concluded." However, concerns persist over the fallout, including diminished trust in medical staff and the potential collapse of pediatric emergency rooms triggered by this incident.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.