Labor Started for 'Corona Confirmed' Mother... Wandering for 10 Hours on the Street Due to No Hospital Bed Available

More than 40 Hospitals Contacted, but "No Beds Available"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A pregnant woman in the late stages of pregnancy who was receiving home treatment after testing positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) went into labor but had no dedicated hospital to go to, resulting in her wandering the streets for 10 hours.

According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 15th, at 9:57 p.m. on the 13th, a report was received from a pregnant woman, Ms. A, saying, "I am undergoing home treatment for COVID-19 and am experiencing bleeding."

Three paramedics from the Pajang 119 Safety Center arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later, but since hospital beds were fully occupied at the time, Ms. A waited in the ambulance for about two hours before the contractions subsided and she returned home. According to quarantine guidelines, COVID-19 positive patients must be transferred to dedicated hospitals, not general obstetrics and gynecology clinics.

However, about two hours later, at around 2:35 a.m. the next day, contractions started again. The dispatched paramedics put Ms. A in the ambulance and searched for nearby hospitals but could not find an available bed. They even reached out to the Chungcheong region, but the situation was the same.

At the time, they were considering delivering the baby in the ambulance, but fortunately, around 8:10 a.m., they received a notification that a bed had been secured at Asan Medical Center in Seoul.

Ultimately, Ms. A was transferred to the hospital 10 hours after the initial report. It is reported that the paramedics made about 80 calls to more than 40 hospitals overnight to secure a hospital bed.

A representative from the Gyeonggi-do Fire Headquarters explained, "The dedicated COVID-19 hospital beds were fully occupied, making it difficult to respond to emergency situations. Fortunately, the mother endured well, allowing us to transfer her to the hospital before a dangerous moment arrived."

Meanwhile, the "Public Officials' Labor Union Loving Firefighting" issued a statement that day, demanding that the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters review related regulations and promptly correct the situation.

The union emphasized, "The fact that there are no hospital beds available to accommodate mothers about to give birth is extremely passive regarding life and an irresponsible act. Therefore, measures must be prepared as soon as possible for mothers and other emergency patients whose time is critical."

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