[Anchor]

We previously reported that a newborn baby in Jeonju passed away after failing to receive timely treatment, a tragedy that occurred shortly after a professor at Chonbuk National University Hospital, who had been solely responsible for the region's neonatal emergency care, announced their resignation. An investigation into the events of that night reveals structural problems that go far beyond a simple unfortunate incident.

Reporter Han Sung-hee has the story.

[Reporter]

Professor Kim, who had been virtually single-handedly managing the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Chonbuk National University Hospital, announced their resignation on June 28. The professor had been suffering from an extreme workload, including 90-hour workweeks and shifts lasting up to 50 consecutive hours, stating that they felt the system would collapse further if they continued to endure it.

In Jeonju, where the baby was born, there are two hospitals with NICUs: Chonbuk National University Hospital and Jesus Hospital.

Following Professor Kim's announcement, Chonbuk National University Hospital transferred two infants from its NICU to Jesus Hospital to ensure continued care. Consequently, when the baby in question began experiencing respiratory distress on July 5, Jesus Hospital was unable to accept the patient as all 12 of its NICU beds were full.

What was the situation at Chonbuk National University Hospital at the time?

It has been confirmed that on the night of the incident, another neonatologist was on duty at Chonbuk National University Hospital, and all 25 beds in its NICU were empty.

However, the obstetrics department did not inquire whether the hospital could accept the baby. Instead, the infant was transported 22 kilometers away to Wonkwang University Hospital in Iksan, despite a hospital being just 10 minutes away.

The transfer process took approximately one hour.

The obstetrics department explained that they did not contact Chonbuk National University Hospital because they believed the NICU was effectively closed due to the absence of Professor Kim.

[Obstetrics Department Official: We had already agreed among ourselves that since Professor Kim was not there and the (Chonbuk National University Hospital NICU) was essentially closed, we would send patients to Jesus Hospital if such a situation arose.]

The medical community emphasizes that this is a situation that could happen anywhere in the country, noting that NICUs have reached their breaking point and that the situation in non-capital regions is akin to a disaster.

[Jang Yoon-sil / President of the Korean Society of Neonatology (Professor of Pediatrics at Samsung Medical Center): As residents avoid these specialties, every NICU is currently operating on a one-person on-call system. The structure is such that if one or two people falter, the entire (NICU) system collapses.]

Medical experts warn that even in the capital region, where about 70 percent of the nation's 200 neonatologists are concentrated, the absence of just one doctor can have a direct impact on the lives of newborns.

(Video Editing: Kim Jin-won, Design: Jeon Yu-geun)