Cheongdo Daenam Hospital 'Warriors in White'... "Medical Staff Risked Their Lives"

[Interview] Nurse Oh Seong-hoon Providing Medical Support at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital for a Week
Newlywed of 5 Months and CEO of a Startup with 5 Employees
Defied Wife’s Tears and Staff’s Objections to Head to Daenam Hospital on the 29th of Last Month
Wrote on Medical Support Application: 'Send Me to the Most Difficult and Fierce Place'

Nurse Oh Seong-hoon (far left in the photo), who is providing medical support at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital, is taking a photo with fellow medical staff.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] "Cheongdo Daenam Hospital was a place where not even the slightest mistake was allowed. It was the most intense week of my life."

At Cheongdo Daenam Hospital, where 7 deaths occurred due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), nurse Oh Seong-hoon (29) referred to his fellow medical staff as 'warriors in white.' Oh said, "The infectious medical field is literally a battlefield. A single mistake, like improperly handling a syringe needle or saliva entering through a gap in protective clothing, can lead to fatal consequences." He added, "Despite such risks, medical staff are dedicating themselves to treatment at the risk of their own lives."

Oh is newlywed, married for 5 months. He is also the CEO of a startup operating a nurse community. Despite his wife’s tears and his staff’s objections, he arrived at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital on the 29th of last month. He said, "When confirmed COVID-19 cases surged from the end of February, I couldn’t just stand by. Since I started my business to be 'someone who cares for nurses,' I wanted to jump into the field and help even a little." On his medical support application to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, he wrote, 'Please send me to the most intense and difficult place.'

A painting by Oh Seonghun (@reading_nurse) shared on Instagram. He said he painted it thinking of his fellow medical staff fighting on the front lines at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital.

When he arrived a week ago, Cheongdo and Daenam Hospital looked like ruins. Daenam Hospital, where 7 deaths and 119 confirmed cases occurred, was a despairing place tangled with fear and confusion.

Amid this, he had to deal with psychiatric patients who had difficulty communicating. He was responsible for checking patients’ vital signs (such as temperature, respiration, pulse) and administering injections and medications. At first, when facing confirmed patients in the closed ward, an inexplicable worry would overwhelm him. Each time, he mustered courage and asked 'everyday questions' like, 'What kind of music do you like?' or 'What hobbies do you usually have?' He thought opening the patients’ closed hearts would help with treatment.

Patients who initially kept silent gradually opened up. Answers like "Thank you for listening to me," "I really like Na Hoon-a, he was a rival of Nam Jin," and "I often read poems by Han Yong-un" came back. Oh said, "There were times I was so moved that I felt sorry for having treated patients with fear at first." He added, "A patient in his 70s said, 'Life changes depending on your mindset,' which I think is a phrase worth reflecting on for patients and medical staff suffering from COVID-19, including myself."

Nurse Oh Seong-hoon, who took a photo immediately after arriving at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital for medical support on the 29th of last month

Cheongdo Daenam Hospital Looked Like Ruins Upon Arrival
Asked 'Everyday Questions' to Open Patients’ Hearts
Even Patients Who Didn’t Open Up Responded,
'Thank You for Listening to Me'
Most Patients at Daenam Hospital Showing Improvement

Patients at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital are gradually improving. On the previous day (the 4th), the first case of a confirmed patient related to Cheongdo Daenam Hospital being declared fully recovered was reported. The remaining 29 patients at Daenam Hospital will soon be transferred to other hospitals in different regions with better treatment conditions. Oh said, "Most patients at Daenam Hospital will be transferred within 2 to 3 days, and their conditions are expected to improve significantly." He added, "Although they will leave Daenam Hospital for other hospitals, I want to safely complete the remaining two weeks of medical support with the strength gained from the support of those cheering us on."

Oh is a well-known influencer among nurses under the handle 'Reading Nurse (@reading_nurse).' On Instagram, he shares writings and drawings that soothe nurses’ wounds, followed by 40,000 followers. Oh said, "When COVID-19 was initially spreading, I sent encouragement to medical staff through writings and drawings on social media like Instagram. But as confirmed cases surged, I felt that sending encouragement through writings and drawings was too leisurely, so I applied for medical support." He shared that after updating the situation at Daenam Hospital, he received hundreds of comments and messages from people dreaming of becoming nurses or supporting nurses, saying, "Thanks to their encouragement, I was able to muster strength and work on the medical frontlines."

The startup he leads, 'Nurse Note,' is a platform that allows easy sharing of work content, educational materials, and practical guidelines by hospital departments. Oh, who worked as a nurse himself, created this community service after identifying that the root cause of the 'taeum' problem among nurses lies in the apprenticeship-style education system. Taeum refers to a disciplinary culture where senior nurses harass or bully new nurses during the training process, derived from the phrase meaning 'burning the soul to ashes.'

Oh Seonghun, CEO of NurseNote, who has been newlywed for 5 months, jumped into the field at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital despite his wife's pleas and tears. He brought wedding photos taken with his wife in Cheongdo and photos taken with company employees.

Oh’s direct involvement in the COVID-19 crisis also aligns with his company’s vision and goal of being 'a nurse who cares for nurses.' Despite being busy with medical support, he holds video meetings twice a week after work. He has reduced his sleep to 4 to 5 hours. He said, "I feel both grateful and sorry to my wife and staff who trust and support me." He added, "I hope that the COVID-19 crisis will lead to more active social discussions about the nursing shortage and hospital systems that make nurses’ work difficult."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.