"Go to Work Even If Test Results Are Not Out" Suncheonhyang University Hospital Quarantine 청 Petition Emerges

Cheong Petitioners "Even with Confirmed Cases, Nurses Personally Disinfect with Bleach"
Confirmed Cases Related to Soonchunhyang University Hospital Rise to 218

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board post capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Internal criticism is emerging regarding the inadequate quarantine measures and responses by the hospital at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred, as a petition post has been uploaded highlighting these issues.

On the 21st, a petition titled "The Two Faces of Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. The petitioner, who identified themselves as a nurse working at Soonchunhyang University Hospital, stated, "The cumulative number of 201 confirmed cases as of the 20th is a tragic result of the hospital's incompetence and failure in quarantine," and claimed, "When COVID-19 began spreading mainly in the metropolitan area, the hospital's COVID-19 management plan was extremely inadequate."

They continued, "Hospital staff took turns controlling hospital access," and questioned, "If a staff member who had contact with a confirmed or incubating person re-entered the hospital to work, could infection control have been effective?"

Additionally, they criticized, "Staff were instructed to come to work even before receiving negative results from mass testing," and said, "If staff without confirmed negative results came into contact with patients or other staff while the spread of infection within the hospital was not being contained, this would have been an order that encouraged the spread of COVID-19 infection within the hospital."

The petitioner also revealed problems in ward management. They said, "Nurses who supported the ward where a confirmed nurse was found used the changing room, station, and supplies without disinfecting the ward," and added, "Medical devices such as blood pressure monitors and thermometers were not used separately for each patient. Even if wiped with disinfectant wipes after use, complete disinfection is not achieved. Protective gear was casually placed in the ward corridor without negative pressure facilities."

They further stated, "After a confirmed case appeared, the hospital issued a notice that floors and ceilings in each department should be disinfected with bleach mainly by nurses, and cleaning should be done using hand mops as if cleaning a living room at home, which was shocking," and lamented, "In a situation where the coronavirus might have spread throughout the hospital, can proper disinfection be possible using in-house personnel instead of a professional disinfection company without temporary closure measures?"

The petition spread through the anonymous workplace community 'Blind' and other online communities, sparking controversy, and as of 8 a.m. on the 23rd, it had received over 3,500 endorsements.

Medical staff are coming and going at the temporary screening clinic of Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where multiple confirmed cases have occurred, on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 19th, a post titled "Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital is Hell" was uploaded on an online community.

The author revealed, "Help me. It’s really hell. We are working by rotating infinite helpers (support staff) across several wards," and exposed, "If isolated or confirmed positive, they are sent to another ward as helpers, and after helpers, active monitors are deployed. Is there any law that says no one will test positive? With the number of positives increasing every test day, there is no countermeasure," and further staff revelations followed, continuously raising criticism of Soonchunhyang University Hospital’s COVID-19 quarantine measures.

Meanwhile, regarding the petition content, the hospital explained, "During the initial confusion of the cluster infection outbreak, dissatisfaction seemed to have been expressed because we could not explain every detail about staff deployment on site," and added, "On the 21st, the hospital director group held a video conference with about 300 nurses to explain work assignments, and today sent explanatory notes to staff who could not attend the morning meeting, with plans to provide additional Q&A information."

On the 12th, two inpatients at Soonchunhyang University Hospital were initially confirmed positive. Subsequently, by the 20th, 207 cases were confirmed, with 9 additional cases on the 21st, bringing the total number of confirmed cases related to the hospital to 218 as of the 22nd. Among them, 174 cases are confirmed in Seoul.

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