The National Human Rights Commission noted on the 19th that it has referred the investigation of the hospital director and others to the Prosecutor General regarding the death of an inpatient at W Mental Hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The hospital director here is Yang Jae-woong (42), a psychiatrist and the boyfriend of Hanni (32, real name Ahn Hee-yeon) from the group EXID.
The Human Rights Commission decided this after conducting an investigation into the patient's death at the hospital and holding a review the day before. The commission judged that medical records were falsely created concerning the patient's death at W Mental Hospital and that there were actions either instructing or allowing this. The subjects referred for investigation include the hospital director, the attending physician, the on-duty physician, nurses, and nursing assistants.
Previously, an individual identified as A, who was 33 years old at the time, was admitted to W Mental Hospital, run by Yang, on May 10 of last year. This was for treatment of addiction to diet pills containing narcotic substances. A died on the 17th day of hospitalization on the 27th of the same month, and the National Institute of Scientific Investigation determined that the cause of death was "acute pseudointestinal obstruction," which is a condition where symptoms similar to intestinal blockage occur due to impaired intestinal function.
The Human Rights Commission's investigation found that the hospital isolated A four times during their stay and restrained their body to the bed on two occasions. A was isolated from 7 p.m. the day before their death until 4:03 a.m. on the day of death, and on the day of death, their chest, both wrists, and both ankles were restrained from 12:30 a.m. to 2:20 a.m.
Nursing assistant B noticed around 3:40 a.m. that A appeared pale and called their name, but received no response. After being unable to check blood pressure and pulse, they immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The on-duty physician, identified as C, ordered to report to emergency services, and the dispatched rescue workers transported A to a nearby hospital's emergency room at 4:03 a.m. According to the rescue activity log, A was in an unconscious state with no pulse, blood pressure, or breathing. The hospital where A was transferred estimated the time of death to be before 4:05 a.m.
According to the Human Rights Commission, A had been experiencing bowel issues since the day before their death, and the attending physician and others did not provide medical care for the victim. The isolation and restraint were conducted without a doctor's order, violating the Mental Health Welfare Act. The on-duty room is located 7 to 8 minutes away from the hospital, yet the on-duty physician had not visited the hospital at any time from the day before A's death until the day of death, until A was transported by emergency services.
The medical records indicate that the on-duty physician ordered the isolation and restraint of A; however, the actual person who gave the orders was the attending physician. This was due to hospital policy, which ultimately resulted in false documentation. Additionally, during the process of binding and releasing A's body at five sites, there was no doctor's order, yet the records state that it was on a doctor's instruction.
The Human Rights Commission determined that "the habitual false creation of medical records is not possible without the instruction or complicity of the hospital director." This is the reason the commission referred hospital director Yang and others for investigation to the prosecution.
Additionally, the Human Rights Commission recommended that the Minister of Health and Welfare amend the Mental Health Welfare Act to mandate an in-person consultation by a specialist before implementing restraint on hospitalized patients in mental health facilities. They also recommended the establishment of a regulation to notify guardians when patients are subjected to restraint.
Yang appeared as a witness at the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee's audit in October of last year and responded "I do not acknowledge it" when asked by lawmakers if the hospital acknowledges its negligence related to the patient's death. He also stated that it was "difficult to acknowledge" any violation of the medical staff's duty of care toward the patient.
Yang was asked questions such as "Was the on-duty physician at the hospital at the time of the patient's death?" and "Was the on-duty physician directly informed of the deceased's condition and gave direct instructions?" but he avoided answering, saying it was "an ongoing investigation."
When asked if he had directly apologized to the bereaved family, Yang said, "I have not met yet..." and stated that he had not been able to apologize in person. However, he added, "I have always had the intention to apologize to the bereaved family" and reiterated, "I apologize again for not being able to safely help you recover after trusting our hospital with your care." The bereaved family filed a complaint with the police in June of last year against Yang and five other medical staff members for homicide due to negligence.