The fallout is widening surrounding the recent raid by the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on the Pediatric Emergency Medical Center at Ajou University Hospital.

The incident began in July, when a 4-month-old Uzbek infant was brought into the hospital in cardiac arrest. Despite medical staff performing CPR for over an hour, the baby 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 called 112. Two detectives entered the emergency room, followed by three crime scene investigators holding cameras."

When the deceased infant's parents claimed medical malpractice and filed a complaint against the medical staff, the police proceeded to raid the emergency center on September 30.

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

Amidst 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 a potential paralysis of the pediatric emergency medical system, with discussions even arising about 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.

On online communities, netizens are pouring out criticisms and concerns, stating, "Suing the medical staff who did their best to save the child and even calling the police is going too far," and "Overzealous investigations that ignore the unique realities of the emergency room are ultimately leading to greater harm in the form of pediatric emergency care voids."

In response, the police explained that the raid was not an excessive investigation, stating that they "conducted only minimal checks for 17 minutes after patient treatment concluded." However, concerns persist over the backlash, including diminished trust in medical staff and the collapse of pediatric emergency rooms resulting from this incident.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News