Amid Mass Strike, a Man in His 40s Wandering from Busan to Ulsan Emergency Rooms Eventually Dies

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[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amid the third day of the Korean Medical Association's collective strike, a man in his 40s who ingested poison in Busan was unable to find a hospital for emergency treatment and was transferred to Ulsan, where he later died while receiving treatment.

According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters and police on the 28th, at 11:23 p.m. on the 26th, a report was received by 119 that a 47-year-old man in Buk-gu, Busan, was in critical condition after ingesting poison. The man, who had been caught in a drunk driving crackdown, was voluntarily accompanying police officers to a security center but stopped by his home for a moment and suddenly ingested a substance presumed to be pesticide.

The 119 paramedics tried to find a hospital that could perform treatments such as gastric lavage for the man, but most hospitals responded that the required specialists were unavailable.

Meanwhile, the man went into cardiac arrest and received emergency treatment at a hospital in Buk-gu, Busan, barely regaining a heartbeat, but no hospital could be found to treat the symptoms of poisoning.

The 119 paramedics inquired about transfer availability about 20 times over approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes at six university hospitals in Busan and Gyeongnam and seven secondary medical institutions, but only received replies that there was no available medical staff. Eventually, at 1:02 a.m. on the 27th, the paramedics confirmed a hospital where treatment was possible through the Central Emergency Situation Management Center and transferred the man to the emergency room of Ulsan University Hospital, not in Busan.

However, due to losing about three hours on the road without receiving prompt emergency treatment, the man fell into critical condition and ultimately died on the afternoon of the 27th while receiving treatment in the intensive care unit.

A representative from the Busan Bukbu Police Station stated, "We are verifying whether the direct cause of death was indeed pesticide poisoning."

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