25.10.27.Today News : 4-Year-Old Dies After ER Refusal — Three Doctors Fined

4-Year-Old Dies After ER Refusal — Three Doctors Fined

📍Ambulance Turned Away Despite Emergency Call; Boy Died Months Later After Long Transfer

Three university hospital doctors have been fined for refusing emergency treatment and failing to properly record medical data for a 4-year-old boy who later died. The child, unable to receive prompt care, was transported over 20 kilometers to another hospital and died five months later. While the court acknowledged professional negligence, it ruled no direct causal link between the doctors’ actions and the child’s death.

Three medical staff members at a university hospital who refused to provide emergency treatment to an unconscious four-year-old child were sentenced to fines by the court.

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🔹Case Overview
The incident occurred in October 2019 in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. A 4-year-old boy, Kim Dong-hee, who had undergone a tonsillectomy two weeks earlier at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, suddenly lost consciousness at home. Emergency services (119) contacted the hospital’s pediatric ER — the closest facility and the one that had performed his surgery — for immediate admission.

However, Dr. A (34), on duty that night, refused the request, saying another patient was under CPR. Later investigations found that no such critical patient existed at the time. As a result, the ambulance had to drive over 20 kilometers to another hospital in Busan, during which Kim lost consciousness permanently. He remained on life support until March 2020, when he passed away.

🔹Investigation and Court Ruling
The case sparked national outrage over “ER refusal” practices. Investigators concluded that the refusal lacked legitimate reason and that earlier medical care at the same hospital had been insufficient.

On September 27, 2024, the Ulsan District Court fined Dr. A 5 million KRW for violating the Emergency Medical Services Act. The court stated, “The defendant unjustifiably rejected an emergency medical request, depriving the patient of a chance for timely treatment,” but noted “the ER was under heavy workload conditions at the time,” as a mitigating factor.

🔹Additional Defendants and Hospital Penalties
Dr. B (41), who treated the boy’s postoperative bleeding with cauterization and discharged him prematurely without proper recordkeeping, also received a 5 million KRW fine. Dr. C (45), who was serving as a substitute physician at another hospital when the boy’s condition worsened, was likewise fined for failing to deliver medical records promptly after handing the patient over to emergency responders.

Both were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter due to insufficient evidence linking their actions directly to the death. However, the court emphasized that “their poor documentation and procedural errors were undeniable professional faults.”

The Pusan National University Hospital itself was fined 10 million KRW for neglecting supervision and management of its staff.

🔹Family’s Reaction and Broader Impact
The victim’s mother, present in court, wept and condemned the verdict. She said, “The court admitted medical negligence yet refused to recognize its fatal outcome. I can’t accept that my son’s death ends with a small fine. I urge prosecutors to appeal for a fair ruling.”

This case reignited debate over Korea’s emergency medical system, with experts calling for clearer ER acceptance protocols and staffing reforms to prevent similar tragedies.

One-line summary : Three university hospital doctors were fined after refusing emergency treatment for a 4-year-old boy who later died, highlighting flaws in Korea’s emergency care system.