Sacheomwi Confirms Possibility of Humidifier Disinfectant Damage in Public Institutions, Daycare Centers, and Nursing Homes

Sacheomwi Confirms Purchase Records of 4,668 Humidifier Disinfectants Using Corporate Card

On the morning of the 9th, at the Social Disaster Special Investigation Committee's main conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim Yoo-jung, Head of the Humidifier Disinfectant Investigation Division 1 (right), is answering questions at the press conference announcing the investigation results on the suspicion of Oxy RB and Kim & Chang's cover-up and downplaying of the humidifier disinfectant disaster.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Despite the widespread use of humidifier disinfectants in daycare centers, nursing homes, and public institutions, claims have been raised that the damage has not been properly investigated.

On the 10th, the Special Investigation Committee on Social Disasters (SICSD) confirmed the sales records of humidifier disinfectants at large supermarkets from 2010 to 2011 through an ex officio investigation, and verified that a total of 4,668 humidifier disinfectants were purchased 3,419 times by daycare centers, nursing homes, public institutions, military units, and private companies through eight credit card companies.

The SICSD stated, "We have identified the 'possibility of damage outside the home,' which had been a blind spot in grasping the scale of the humidifier disinfectant disaster victims." Through the 'Public Institution Electronic Procurement System' (including the Public Procurement Service's Nara Market and two other platforms), the SICSD confirmed the purchase history of 232 humidifier disinfectants by eight public institutions such as Seoul Metro, the Urban Railroad Corporation, and the Ministry of National Defense from 2002 to 2011.

The SICSD notified 1,232 corporations, institutions, and organizations with secured contact information about the use of humidifier disinfectants, and among them, 98 places informed 6,011 people presumed to be exposed via text messages and emails about the possibility of damage. Through this process, the SICSD confirmed suspected cases such as deaths from acute heart failure at welfare facilities, suspected deaths from acute pneumonia among patients hospitalized for stroke in nursing homes, and suspected cases of respiratory function decline after using humidifier disinfectants during overnight work.

The SICSD stated that this investigation confirmed the limitations of the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Seoul Metropolitan Government in finding existing humidifier disinfectant victims. Currently, the Ministry of National Defense established a military humidifier disinfectant damage reporting center last year to provide guidance on damage reporting. As a result of a full survey of military humidifier disinfectant damage conducted by the Ministry of National Defense last year, use was revealed in 31 military units; however, through this SICSD investigation, an additional 43 units were confirmed to have purchased humidifier disinfectants.

Additional purchases of humidifier disinfectants were also confirmed at general hospitals. According to the 'Status of Humidifier Disinfectant Purchases by General Hospitals and Above Nationwide' submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the National Assembly member office (Rep. Lee Hoon) in August 2016, 1,232 humidifier disinfectants were used at eight general hospitals from 2006 to 2016. However, the recent SICSD investigation confirmed purchase records of humidifier disinfectants at nine additional general hospitals beyond those eight.

Choi Ye-yong, chairman of the Humidifier Disinfectant Incident Truth Commission, said, "This investigation is the first case in which the SICSD directly investigated large supermarkets and credit card companies, not through surveys, to confirm large-scale purchase records of humidifier disinfectants and verify purchases and use outside the home." He emphasized, "The government should utilize medical records from the National Health Insurance Service and purchase histories from credit card companies to identify not only the possibility of exposure to humidifier disinfectants outside the home but also the types of diseases caused, and undertake more specific and multifaceted efforts to find victims."

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