In the Heart of Seoul... 5-Year-Old Child Visits Emergency Room and Ultimately Passes Away

On the night of the 6th, suffering from high fever and shortness of breath
Called 119, visited 4 hospitals but was refused admission

A 5-year-old child whose condition was severe, with a fever rising to 40 degrees Celsius, was taken to the hospital by ambulance but ultimately died after being unable to be admitted due to no available hospital beds.

According to SBS on the 16th, on the night of the 6th during the Children's Day holiday, 5-year-old boy A, living in Gunja-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, suddenly suffered from a high fever and rapid breathing, prompting a call to the 119 emergency medical service.

Boy A rode in the ambulance with his parents to a nearby university hospital, but there were no available beds. They then sought another hospital, but the situation was the same. Boy A visited four hospitals but was unable to receive inpatient treatment anywhere.

The emergency activity log from that day clearly shows the circumstances of searching for an emergency room. Despite the paramedics' efforts in all directions, including the first university hospital, they only received responses such as "no beds available or unable to provide treatment" from all four places.

A 5-year-old child whose condition was serious, with a fever rising up to 40 degrees Celsius, was taken to the hospital by ambulance but was unable to be admitted due to the lack of available rooms, ultimately resulting in the child's death.
[Photo by SBS]

At the fifth hospital they barely found, Boy A was able to receive treatment, but inpatient care was still difficult. Diagnosed with 'acute obstructive laryngitis,' Boy A was treated and discharged early the next morning.

However, Boy A continued to show symptoms of difficulty breathing, and when his family called the emergency room they had visited the day before, they were again told "admission is difficult." Still, to receive treatment, the family prepared to go to the emergency room.

Then, Boy A suddenly collapsed in the bathroom. The child's mother explained, "(The child) said, 'Mom, I can't pee,' then suddenly sat down. He said, 'Mom, why does my voice sound like this?' and then just within less than a second..."

Boy A's mother put him in the ambulance and rushed to the nearest emergency room, but he died about 40 minutes after arrival. Boy A's father expressed to SBS, "Such an absurd thing happening in the heart of Seoul, South Korea," and said, "It is shocking that treatment is refused because there are no hospital beds."

The hospital that treated the child stated, "We confirmed there were no issues on the X-ray and immediately administered respiratory nebulizer treatment. After confirming stabilization, we prescribed medication and discharged him."

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