South Korean woman dies after 92 failed hospital attempts amid doctors’ strike during holiday

The woman suffered multiple cardiac arrests and was turned away by 10 hospitals due to a shortage of doctors during the Chuseok holiday

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A South Korean woman tragically died after 92 hospitals refused to admit her during a major holiday, highlighting the devastating impact of a months-long doctors’ strike. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:05pm, 25 Sep 2024Updated: 7:07pm, 25 Sep 2024

A South Korean woman has become the latest casualty of a months-long strike by doctors after first responders called 92 times and failed to find a hospital that could admit her for a serious heart condition during a major holiday.

The government told an opposition lawmaker on Monday that the victim, suffering from multiple cardiac arrests, was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived at her Busan home last Tuesday.

Paramedics contacted 10 hospitals, but none had doctors qualified to treat her during Chuseok, one of South Korea’s biggest holidays.

A medical centre finally agreed to admit the patient in her 30s, even though it lacked the resources to carry out complex neurosurgical procedures.

The woman received CPR at the hospital, which temporarily improved her condition. But, she needed care at a larger facility. Emergency workers contacted several larger hospitals, but they declined the request, citing a shortage of doctors.

She eventually died of a heart attack in the early morning hours on September 17. This is the latest incident in South Korea, where a walkout by doctors that started in February to protest the government’s decision to increase medical school admissions has crippled the country’s healthcare system.