The nurse who said "I will take responsibility if you die, so refrain from calling"... the 50s confirmed patient eventually passed away

Nurse: "I cared for the patient, but there were no notable symptoms at the time"

Citizens waiting for COVID-19 testing.

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A man in his 50s who was being treated at a residential treatment center in Busan after testing positive for COVID-19 was found dead on Lunar New Year’s Day. It has been reported that the treatment center staff made remarks such as "Please refrain from calling" and "If he dies, we will take responsibility."

According to the Busanjin Police Station on the 4th, at around 3:23 p.m. on the 1st, Mr. A, a COVID-19 positive patient staying at a residential treatment center in Busanjin-gu, Busan, was found dead. An employee of the hotel designated as the residential treatment center discovered Mr. A during a routine cleaning and reported it.

Mr. A was admitted to the treatment center on the 25th of last month. At that time, he was taking medication for diabetes and hypertension but was healthy enough to walk into the hospital on his own. However, three days later, Mr. A complained of chest pain, and his health rapidly deteriorated. His family repeatedly asked the nurses to check on his condition.

In a phone call recording released by JTBC between the bereaved family and a nurse, Nurse B told Mr. A’s wife, "Please refrain from calling so much. This person is not mentally or intellectually deficient."

In response, Mr. A’s wife said, "There is a possibility of an emergency, and he is someone who does not express when he is in pain, so I was worried and called. Please take a look."

However, Nurse B replied, "Didn’t we say we would take care of him?" and added, "Continuously contacting us like this..." Mr. A’s wife responded, "We only called once," and their voices grew louder.

Then, when Mr. A’s wife asked, "If something goes wrong and he dies, will you take responsibility?" Nurse B answered, "We will take responsibility. We will be held accountable civilly and criminally."

Ultimately, Mr. A was found dead eight days after being admitted to the treatment center.

Meanwhile, Nurse B told the media, "The family never requested to transfer him to a hospital, they only asked us to monitor his condition, and at that time, there were no particular symptoms. I feel very unfair because the bereaved family is unilaterally associating me with this incident even though I am not involved."

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