4-Year-Old Child Dies from 'Hypoxic Brain Injury'... 5 Doctors Face Trial

Doctors suspected of responsibility in the case of a 4-year-old child who died from hypoxic brain injury after undergoing a tonsillectomy have been brought to trial.

On the 28th, according to the prosecution, the Food and Drug Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Park Hye-young) indicted five doctors and Hospital A in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, without detention on charges including professional negligence causing death, violations of the Medical Service Act, and the Emergency Medical Service Act. Among those indicted are three doctors responsible for the death, one doctor who falsified medical records, and one doctor who unjustifiably evaded emergency medical requests from the 119 Emergency Medical Situation Center.

The victim underwent a tonsillectomy at Hospital A on October 4, 2019. Three days later, the child was admitted to Hospital B but died on March 11, 2020, while receiving life-sustaining treatment due to hypoxic brain injury. The doctors are accused of concealing the occurrence of bleeding during anesthesia recovery and the fact of a secondary surgery, failing to explain the patient's condition and emergency response measures. Despite being on duty, they left their duty location, did not implement appropriate emergency rescue measures, failed to document medical records, and unjustifiably evaded emergency medical requests from the 119 Emergency Medical Situation Center.

The prosecution began the investigation after the police transferred the case. The Yangsan Police Station in Gyeongnam received a complaint from the bereaved family in December 2019 and transferred the case to the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office in November of the following year. The Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office transferred the case to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office in February through the specialized prosecutor transfer system. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, which deployed a certified specialist prosecutor with a medical doctorate to directly conduct supplementary investigations, indicted six defendants without detention on this day.

During the prosecution's investigation, illegal work practices such as medical staff writing medical records under other medical personnel's names, unauthorized absence from duty, and unapproved or unreported proxy duty were confirmed, leading to additional related criminal charges.

A prosecution official stated, "As the specialized prosecution office for food, drug, and health crimes, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office will actively utilize its expertise to do its utmost to alleviate the grievances of crime victims."

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