00:00 "64 Consecutive Hours of Work": A Reality That Has Become Routine Here
03:51 Neither Meals nor Sleep Come Easy
05:25 "Struggling with a Herniated Disc, But Without Me..."
07:30 "My Family and I Can't Do It"
09:14 The Driving Force to Keep Fighting Regardless

1. '총 64시간 연속 근무', 이젠 일상이 된 이곳
"If this continues, we will all die." This expression was included in presentation slides by Professor Kim, who had been solely responsible for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Jeonbuk National University Hospital, when announcing their resignation on June 28. Professor Kim said, "If I hold on, the system seems to crumble even further," pointing out the reality of medical staffing where high-risk infant cases are increasing due to rising older pregnancies, yet applications from resident doctors for pediatrics, particularly neonatal subspecialization, have virtually dried up. Coincidentally, less than a week after Professor Kim left, a newborn in Jeonju, where Jeonbuk National University Hospital is located, faced difficulties during an overnight transfer process. The baby was barely transported to an NICU in another region but ultimately passed away. To look into the working reality of NICUs outside the capital region, the reporting team accompanied Professor Lee Byung-gook of the NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, who treats neonatal intensive care patients in the Sejong and Chungbuk areas, during his overnight shift. Even before his overnight shift began at 6 p.m., Professor Lee had already been working for a staggering 40 hours.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "Because there was a baby in critical condition in the early hours from Sunday into Monday, I came in at 2 a.m., and (my shift lasts) until 6 p.m. Wednesday."]
 
In other words, it is a total of 64 consecutive hours on duty. Across the nation's NICUs, shifts lasting tens of hours continuously are said to be routine, as round-the-clock monitoring and immediate necessary interventions are essential.

[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "In just a moment, a baby's respiratory rate could vanish, blood pressure could drop, or a brain hemorrhage could occur because of these things. We need to administer treatment as quickly as possible to prepare for such situations."]

On this day as well, all 20 beds in the NICU were full. Most patients were premature infants born before completing 37 weeks of gestation, and several were extremely low birth weight infants weighing less than 1 kg.

[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "For babies born under 1 kg, critical situations very often arise within the first week. So even if it's not visible on the surface right now..."]

Due to these characteristics, highly skilled medical specialists are indispensably required in the NICU.

[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "When newborns experience subtle changes in condition, they cannot express them, and outward symptoms are extremely minimal. Unless these are caught as early as possible, they mostly lead to lifelong complications. For instance, if a premature infant remains in poor condition for an extended period, it can lead to brain hemorrhage, which over time can cause cerebral palsy or nerve paralysis, making normal social life difficult. To catch these things as quickly as possible and treat them as best we can, we need people with extensive experience..."]

Night shifts also tend to run frantically without a moment to catch one's breath. Doctors constantly check on premature infants with weak hearts placed in incubators right after birth, or perform procedures inside the NICU such as inserting a catheter into an artery to monitor blood pressure when it drops — a procedure where even locating the tiny artery is no easy task.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "If you look at the babies' wrists, they are this small, and the radial artery inside is tiny. We have no choice but to locate it by feeling the pulse directly, as it's not visible. While placing an arterial line in such a small vessel, complications can also happen: possibility of bleeding, possibility of infection, and if a blood clot forms, tissue necrosis in the surrounding area can very well occur."]
 
Even past midnight, checking on "Teunteuni" (a fetal nickname meaning "Healthy"), who weighs less than 600 g, continues repeatedly.
 
[It has been seven hours since we arrived here, and it is now past midnight. As you can see, it looks like daytime rather than nighttime.]
 
2. 끼니도 수면도 쉽지 않다
Monitoring conditions 24 hours a day and carrying out necessary care makes even eating meals difficult. Having skipped dinner the previous night, Professor Lee takes a brief moment on this evening to visit a convenience store connected to the hospital to buy dinner.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "A sandwich, white milk, and a protein drink."]
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: (Is a day with no emergencies the best?) "That is my biggest hope. In fact, since we never know when a baby will be born, we must always remain on call. But remaining on call with no tasks and no critical patients is my greatest wish, because that means the babies aren't sick. That is my biggest hope."]
 
During a brief quiet spell, while grabbing a meal in a research office right next to the NICU, he must also prepare for his medical school lecture scheduled for the next morning.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "Tomorrow I have to give a four-hour medical student lecture all at once. Time is tight because of patient care, but I am managing to prepare bit by bit for tomorrow's class."]
 
After catching a quick nap after 1 a.m., he gets up just 1 hour later to care for patients again. Nurses working three shifts are equally busy day and night. Taking care of two or three babies each, they feed them formula every 3 hours and check for any abnormalities.
 
[Yoon Ye-rin / Nurse, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "When an alarm sounds, we have to run immediately, so it requires constant attention. (Must be uncomfortable when you need to go to the restroom?) Yes. That's why I have to ask a colleague nearby, 'I'm going to the restroom, please keep an eye on my babies for a moment,' before going."]
 
3. "목 디스크 때문에 힘들지만 저 없으면…"
Caring for twenty bedded patients alone is overwhelming, yet even when beds are full, the hospital frequently receives transfer requests for emergency cases originating outside the facility.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: (Looking around, the nurses are constantly moving without a moment's rest. So isn't it physically difficult to accept additional patients here?) "We almost never refuse nearby emergency patients just because we are exhausted. We only turn them away when it is physically impossible to accommodate them. If we truly couldn't accept a patient due to capacity, we stay on edge regarding subsequent news. If a problem occurs later, we end up suffering from a sense of guilt, asking ourselves, 'Should I have taken them in back then?' or 'Should we have pushed ourselves to take them in?'"]
 
According to a recent complete enumeration survey by the Korean Society of Neonatology, there are currently 65 open NICUs nationwide, with a total of 199 neonatologists. Sixty-five percent of neonatologists were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, while Sejong, Jeonbuk, and Jeju had only 2 each, and Gyeongbuk and Chungbuk had only 1 each. Specialists who, like Professor Lee, cover both daytime medical care and overnight shifts account for 154 doctors, or 78%. Over the past three years up until June this year, 98 specialists resigned or transferred from NICUs across the country, and as many as 30 specialists plan to resign or have expressed an intention to resign within the next year, pushing manpower depletion beyond worrisome levels. The crisis is now a reality. Respondents indicated that if 1 more specialist leaves from the current workforce, 17 NICUs — or 27% — would "have to consider closing due to impossibility of operation."

[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "I'm holding on even though a herniated disc in my neck makes things quite difficult. I hope to recover, but if things worsen or if something happens to me tomorrow, this place will become empty. I really hope that doesn't happen..."]
 
4. "저와 제 가족은 할 수 없어요"
Due to low compensation despite heavy workloads and the risk of legal liability if a baby's condition deteriorates, the NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital has been without resident physicians for seven consecutive years. In 2018, following the deaths of 4 newborns in late 2017 at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital's NICU, 3 medical personnel — including 2 professors and a head nurse — were arrested during the investigation. Although the courts later issued not-guilty verdicts from the first instance through to the Supreme Court, the NICU became a prime area of medical avoidance.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "Among the patients we treat, in terms of premature infant survival, 10 out of 100 pass away. For those under 1.5 kg, or under 1 kg, mortality rates rise even higher. No matter how hard we try and give our best, a portion of the patients we treat inevitably face tragic outcomes, and a portion of surviving babies inevitably develop complications. I believe fear of potential legal burdens is a major reason why pediatric residents refrain from applying for neonatal subspecialization."]
 
Professor Lee cannot forget the words left by the last resident doctor who worked alongside him in the past.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "When I encouraged him by saying, 'You work so hard, why don't we do this together?', that resident replied, 'I respect you immensely, Professor, and I think what you do is truly wonderful. But my family and I cannot do this. It is an extremely grueling path for us to take.'"]

5. 그럼에도 분투를 이어가는 원동력은
Still, when asked about the driving force behind continuing his daily struggle, Professor Lee said:
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "The primary reward is seeing babies grow well here and get discharged, held in their parents' arms. The parents are overjoyed, and actually, the babies are happy too. Others might not notice, but I truly feel I can tell. Also, occasionally receiving letters like this, drawings like that, or that drip coffee over there — a baby's mother made it with her newborn's face on the package — I cherish it too much to open it."]
 
After finishing a 14-hour night shift, with 10 hours still remaining before he could leave work for the day, Professor Lee hurried off in the morning to give his medical school lecture.
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "After finishing medical school classes, I need to hurry back, conduct afternoon rounds, check on the babies, stand by, and perform treatments if anything special arises..."]
 
Before sunrise, as a particularly long night drew to a close in the NICU, Professor Lee offered a final plea:
 
[Lee Byung-gook / Professor, NICU at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital: "It would be wonderful if we could save 100 percent of babies and mothers, but we are not gods who can do that. Although there may be shortcomings, everyone is doing their best in their respective positions. When issues arise, if people try to fix them and offer more encouragement rather than criticism, I believe we will be able to find a bit more strength."]

Reported by Han Sung-hee | Written by Shin Hee-sook | Camera by Lee Byung-joo | Video Edited by Jang Yu-jin | Designed by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News