This is an emergency room. There was no time to explain the condition of the emergency patients. It is said that there are enough beds, but there are many people right now, and it is not being handled. Clearly, it shows that there are beds available, but the hospital refuses to admit patients. This is an actual phone recording released by the paramedics. Another recording shows that even patients who are unconscious find it difficult to cross the threshold of the hospital. For secondary hospitals, a patient with decreased consciousness and a fever of 40 degrees is a serious situation. The emergency room is overwhelmed, and the chronic issue of emergency room delays has worsened recently due to the conflict between the medical association and the government. Tertiary hospitals are refusing to accept patients from secondary hospitals, and secondary hospitals are refusing patients from tertiary hospitals. What are we supposed to do with these patients? As the heat wave continues, there have been cases of heat-related illnesses resulting in deaths. A man in his 40s collapsed in Dobong-gu, Seoul, and a woman in her 60s collapsed in Cheonan, Chungnam, after having to make 19 phone calls to find a hospital. In the end, they both died due to refusals from the emergency rooms.

The emergency system in South Korea, which results in deaths due to inadequate care, cannot be considered normal. On the 19th, the fire department issued a public statement calling for measures to eradicate the refusal of service. Emergency responders, who cannot even guarantee their meal times, want to save lives. This is JTBC reporting. The resident doctors, who filled in the gaps, are now facing a strike announced by nurses just four days later, raising concerns about a crisis in the emergency room. In response, the presidential office stated today that the situation is manageable and that the media is exaggerating the issue. However, news has emerged that all emergency room doctors at Korea University Chungju Hospital have submitted their resignations. Our reporters captured footage of a heart disease patient struggling outside the emergency room. First, let's hear the on-site situation from reporter Hwang Ye. In a university hospital in Seoul, a patient with heart disease is suffering.

I led them here, but they immediately turned back. They refused treatment in the emergency room, saying it was difficult to provide care. Since the kidneys are not in good condition, there was supposed to be a regular appointment here in October, but I really didn't want to go, so they told me to go to a different hospital. This emergency room, known as a big hospital, has announced that only some procedures related to myocardial infarction are possible. They also indicated that they cannot accommodate trauma patients. Meanwhile, an ambulance arrives with a patient. The emergency room crisis is spreading even to the metropolitan area, leading to patients being shuffled around. The truth is that there are only 91% of the needed resources available, so during the day, it's nearly impossible to get help. The paramedics don't even have time to inform the doctors about the patient's condition. The only response they receive is that there are no doctors available. I called to inquire about the patient’s treatment, and they said, Unfortunately, our emergency physician is not here today. As the medical gap continues to lengthen, many patients are unable to cross the threshold of the emergency room.

The number of patients is increasing. This is Yerin from JTBC. The situation in the emergency rooms is manageable, according to the government. However, there has been immediate rebuttal from the medical field. Today, a traffic accident victim was unable to find a facility that would accept them, ultimately leading to their death. This is the reality we are facing. Continuing with the report, journalist Jo Bo-kyung states that the presidential office has declared that the emergency room crisis is a situation that can be sufficiently managed. A senior official from the presidential office explained that the issue of patients being sent around emergency rooms has been a problem accumulated over time, even before the increase in medical school admissions became a topic of discussion, citing a shortage of doctors that has built up over the past 30 years. They added that the recent limitation of 24-hour services is specific to certain facilities. However, there are criticisms that the government is not properly recognizing the crisis on the ground. A traffic accident victim in the southern part of Jeolla Province found no facility across the country that would accept them. Ultimately, they died. This is the reality.

This is the current reality. This is today's reality. Furthermore, even if some hospitals' emergency rooms normalize, doctors are leaving the emergency rooms in other hospitals. At Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, all seven emergency room doctors recently submitted their resignations, raising concerns that emergency medical services in the region could collapse. Additionally, nurses who were filling in for the doctors have announced an indefinite strike starting in three days. Although the so-called Big Five hospitals will not participate, three public hospitals, including the National Medical Center, and thirty private hospitals will take part. If the strike occurs, they have stated that they will maintain essential personnel in emergency rooms and delivery rooms, but it will be difficult to avoid medical gaps such as delays in surgeries. This is Jo Bo-kyung from JTBC.

"그분 죽었습니다, 오늘요"…참지 못해 터져 나온 대답 #뉴스다 / JTBC News

뉴스의 현장에서 뵙겠습니다. JTBC News
Welcome to the official JTBC News Channel.

▶ https://news.jtbc.co.kr
