South Korea faces a shortage of medical personnel, allowing emergency rooms to refuse patients | WPN World People News

South Korean hospital doctors have been on strike for over six months. In response to a shortage of medical personnel during the Chuseok holiday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 15th a new guideline for "appropriate reasons for refusing treatment under the Emergency Medical Act." This is the first time emergency rooms are allowed to refuse patients, with specific criteria set for patient rejection, which can continue after the holiday.

According to the new guidelines, if hospitals lack the necessary personnel or equipment to provide emergency care, they can refuse patients. Based on the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), emergency rooms can turn away patients classified as level 4-5, such as those with mild conditions like colds, gastroenteritis, or diarrhea, without facing penalties. Additionally, emergency staff can refuse treatment if they encounter verbal abuse, threats, or violence.

Reports indicate that during the Chuseok holiday, there was little difference in emergency room activity compared to regular days. However, one male patient who had severed a finger was delayed for two hours before being sent to a hospital 94 kilometers away for surgery due to local medical staff shortages. Another man in his sixties, who injured himself after a family argument, was refused by ten hospitals before finally receiving treatment after more than four hours. South Korean media have reported that this year’s biggest wish for Chuseok is "not to get sick."