Regarding the incident in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, where a fetus died while a pregnant woman in need of emergency delivery could not find a hospital and was being transferred to another region, Minister Jung Eun-kyeong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "We will urgently prepare and push improvements so that pregnant women can give birth with peace of mind and in safety."
On the 3rd, the Minister wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Although a pregnant woman in the Cheongju area was transferred to a hospital in Busan due to an emergency in which a 29-week fetus had decreased heart rate, the child ultimately did not see the light of day," adding, "We offer our condolences."
The incident occurred on the night of the 1st at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong. After decreased fetal heart rate was confirmed in a woman hospitalized with bleeding symptoms at 29 weeks of pregnancy, a report was filed that transfer to a higher-level medical institution was necessary.
The clinic reportedly inquired about transfer availability at six hospitals in the Chungcheong region, but all replied that they could not accept her due to reasons such as the absence of specialists. The fire authorities then decided to transfer her to Dong-A University Hospital in Busan, and although the mother arrived by helicopter in about 3 hours and 20 minutes, the fetus ultimately died. The mother underwent surgery and is receiving treatment; her life is not in danger.
That day, the Minister held an emergency on-site meeting at Chungbuk National University Hospital, the regional maternal and child health center for North Chungcheong, to review the maternal and child health care system. The meeting was attended by officials from major medical institutions in the Chungcheong region, including Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungnam National University Hospital, Dankook University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, and Konyang University Hospital.
"Demand for high-risk deliveries is increasing due to older mothers and more multiple pregnancies, but there is a severe shortage of obstetric and neonatal specialists," the Minister said. "In particular, regions have difficulty securing specialists; for example, Chungbuk National University Hospital has only one obstetrics specialist, making night and holiday response difficult."
At the meeting, the main issues raised were ▲ difficulty securing specialists for 24-hour emergency response ▲ low compensation relative to responsibility ▲ civil and criminal liability burdens in the event of medical accidents.
The Minister said, "We will reorganize the severe, regional hub, and local maternal and child health center system, and build a system that can check maternal and child health resources in real time for transfers and referrals," adding, "We will also strengthen cooperation with 119 emergency services."
She added, "We will expand support focused on vulnerable regions and push to improve the compensation system for medical personnel in essential care fields, as well as strengthen the safety net for medical accidents."
On the 4th, the Minister plans to discuss improvement measures with 22 severe and regional hub maternal and child health centers nationwide, the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Korean Pediatric Society, and others.