This Time 300km... COVID-19 Positive Pregnant Woman Transferred from Pyeongtaek to Changwon for Delivery

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Amid the spread of COVID-19, a situation arose where a confirmed pregnant woman was transferred over 300 km due to a shortage of hospital beds and gave birth.

According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 13th, at around 6:28 a.m., a 119 emergency call was received from a house in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, reporting that "A pregnant woman A (39), confirmed with COVID-19, is experiencing labor pains." It is known that Ms. A was recently undergoing home treatment after being confirmed with COVID-19.

The ambulance crew inquired about Ms. A's admission at about 30 nearby hospitals in Gyeonggi, Seoul, Gangwon, and other regions, but it was only at 8:09 a.m., about 1 hour and 40 minutes after the report was received, that they received a response from Gyeongsang National University Hospital in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province, confirming availability.

Despite being about 300 km away from her home, and with nationwide rain and worsening weather conditions preventing helicopter dispatch, Ms. A was transported by ambulance and arrived at Gyeongsang National University Hospital at around 12:10 p.m., about 5 hours and 40 minutes after the report was received. It was reported that Ms. A gave birth naturally.

Earlier, on the 10th, a pregnant woman in her 30s confirmed with COVID-19 was transferred from Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, to a hospital in Hongseong-gun, Chungnam Province, about 130 km away, due to a shortage of beds and gave birth. On the 8th, similarly, a pregnant woman in her 30s confirmed with COVID-19 was transported by helicopter from Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, to Namwon-si, Jeonbuk Province.

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