[Exclusive] Controversy Grows Over Neglect of Elderly Living Alone Rescued Starving in Changwon

Changwon City "Delivered Lunch Boxes 6 Times a Week" vs Volunteer Group "Food Rotten and Foul Smell"

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] A dispute over the truth is unfolding between Changwon City and a local volunteer group regarding a 70-year-old solitary elderly person found unconscious in Jinhae, Gyeongnam.

While the volunteer group pointed out that the elderly person was starving for a long time and his life was in danger when discovered, Changwon City refuted this by stating that they had been providing care services including lunchbox side dishes without fail.

The fact that a 70-year-old solitary elderly person living in Jinhae was found unconscious after not eating for more than a week and was saved from near starvation was reported on the 5th of this month in the online edition of this newspaper under the title '70s Overcome Solitary Death Crisis: "There Was Nothing to Eat"... Welfare Blind Spot Scene'.

Earlier, on the 30th of last month, the 'Love Volunteer Corps' of Changwon Jinhae Baptist Church received a report that “an elderly person lost consciousness and collapsed” and went to the scene, where they found Mr. Ham (77), living alone in a one-room apartment, and reported to the 119 emergency squad. The emergency squad immediately transported Mr. Ham to the hospital.

The hospital doctor who treated Mr. Ham explained his critical health condition, saying, “At that time, the patient's blood sugar was 39, and if it had been delayed by just one day, he would have died.”

▲ Found unconscious and collapsed in a gaunt state, Mr. Ham was transported to the hospital and saved his life.

After Mr. Ham’s story was made public through the report, a responsible official from Changwon City told this newspaper, “The welfare center was providing lunchbox side dish services six days a week,” and protested. Mr. Ham is a recipient of Changwon City’s ‘emergency care service.’

The official sent a photo of the inside of the refrigerator in Mr. Ham’s one-room apartment as evidence. The refrigerator contained side dishes such as eggs and kimchi.

Upon hearing Changwon City’s protest, social workers from the volunteer group conveyed that the actual situation on site was different from the city’s explanation and pointed out that the city’s care and side dish services were flawed. Social worker Lee said, “Someone visited every day, and there was food, so how could he starve like that? The house smelled terrible and was a mess, and the food was rotten. If the city had taken proper interest and checked on him, would the elderly person have ended up like this?” He also criticized, “It is tragic that Changwon City, which should admit mismanagement and strive to prevent recurrence even now, tries to cover it up with excuses like ‘there was food,’ ‘there was a sensor,’ and ‘we provided gift certificates.’”

Dr. Kim Hyun-jun of Yonsei S Hospital, who first treated Mr. Ham upon his arrival at the hospital, said, “(The patient’s appearance) was like a homeless person. It was not a normal appearance and seemed like a neglected situation.” He explained, “For a patient without underlying diseases such as cancer or diabetes, a blood sugar level dropping to 39 is a stage where death can occur within a few hours.”

Another medical staff member said, “After the grandfather regained consciousness, he urgently sought food, indicating that he had not been supplied with food in time.”

A local resident expressed, “It is a great relief that the elderly person was safely rescued thanks to the interest and help of neighbors. However, there still seem to be many blind spots and no responsible parties for solitary elderly people in the region to survive this hot summer healthily,” showing concern.

▲ The volunteer team directly filmed the surroundings when they first visited Mr. Ham's house.

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