Will the investigation into Yang Jae-woong's 'patient death incident' continue?
On the 18th, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (hereinafter referred to as the Human Rights Commission) announced that it had requested the prosecution to investigate the hospital director Yang, the primary physician, the on-duty physician, nurses, and nursing assistants regarding the alleged fabrication of medical records related to the incident in which a patient died at the hospital operated by broadcaster and psychiatrist Yang Jae-woong.
Earlier, in May last year, a woman referred to as A died at a hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where Yang Jae-woong serves as the hospital director. A was hospitalized for treatment of addiction to diet pills but passed away after 17 days. The family of A claimed that the hospital neglected her, leading to her death, and filed a complaint against Yang Jae-woong and hospital officials for negligent homicide and professional negligence with the police.
Subsequently, the Bucheon Wonmi Police Station noted that they had not received the appraisal results requested from the Korean Medical Association at the end of October last year and suspended the investigation in mid-January.
According to Article 98 of the Police Investigation Regulations, expert appraisal is required to conclude investigations into incidents such as medical accidents, traffic accidents, and patent infringements, but investigations may be suspended if the appraisal takes a considerable amount of time.
However, various specialized institutions at the time criticized the police's decision to suspend the investigation, arguing that it was unpersuasive to stop the investigation just because they requested appraisal from the Korean Medical Association, which represents physician interests, without consulting the involved parties.
However, as a result of the Human Rights Commission's investigation, it was found that medical records related to the death of a patient at Yang Jae-woong's hospital were fabricated, and that there were actions indicating instructions or assistance in this regard, leading to the request for investigation by the prosecution.
Additionally, according to the Human Rights Commission, the hospital isolated A four times and performed coercion twice. On the day of her death, she was coerced in the early morning but was able to exit the isolation room thanks to the emergency team. At that time, A was in a state of unconsciousness, with no pulse, blood pressure, or respiration.
Consequently, the Human Rights Commission viewed that the hospital imposed unjust isolation and coercive measures on A. The commission explained that A had experienced bowel problems since the day before her death, and despite the primary physician and others being aware of A's severe condition, they implemented isolation and coercion without proper medical treatment or meticulous assessment. The on-duty physician was also found not to have conducted any rounds on A the day before and the day of her death.
Meanwhile, in October last year, Yang Jae-woong appeared as a witness in a National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee audit and responded to a legislator's question about whether he acknowledged the hospital's negligence related to the patient's death by saying, "I do not acknowledge it. It is difficult to acknowledge it." Yang Jae-woong also stated, "Once again, I apologize for not being able to safely recover your daughter or sister, whom you trusted and brought to our hospital."
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