Suspicion of Proxy Surgery Again at Gwangju Spine Hospital... Police Investigation

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Another allegation of proxy surgery has emerged at a spine hospital in Gwangju.

The Anti-Corruption Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Gwangju Police Agency announced on the 8th that they have launched an investigation after receiving a complaint that additional proxy surgeries by other doctors occurred at the hospital, which had a prior record of punishment for proxy surgery last year.

The complainant, who worked as a doctor at the hospital, filed a complaint requesting punishment of three doctors and three nursing assistants (PAs) from the biomedical engineering department at the hospital for violating the "Special Act on the Punishment of Health Crimes (Punishment of Fraudulent Medical Practitioners)".

'PA (Physician Assistant)' is a term encompassing nurses or unqualified personnel assisting in surgery, and under current law, it is illegal for nursing assistants or hospital staff who are not medical professionals to perform surgeries including incisions and suturing.

According to the complainant, the doctors had non-medical 'PAs' perform surgical procedures on their behalf.

In particular, it is reported that surgical records of 40 to 50 cases per doctor from 2017 to 2018, indicating proxy surgery, along with three videos (one video per doctor), were submitted as evidence.

Meanwhile, on the 2nd, a woman in her 20s undergoing neck disc surgery at the hospital fell into a coma during the operation and was urgently transferred to a large general hospital, where she later passed away.

The bereaved family filed a complaint alleging medical malpractice, and the police have assigned the case to the Violent Crime Investigation Unit of the Gwangju Police Agency to conduct an investigation.

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