39-Degree Fever but Denied Treatment? The Only Pediatric Clinic in Town "Closes Due to Malicious Complaints"

9-Year-Old Child Visits Clinic Alone Without Guardian
Clinic States "Guardian Accompaniment Is Guardian's Duty During Treatment"
Child's Parents File Complaint to Health Center Over 'Treatment Refusal'

News has emerged that the only pediatric and adolescent clinic in the area is closing after receiving a complaint of 'refusal of treatment' for sending away a 9-year-old child who came alone without a guardian.

Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Pediatric Society, posted on his Facebook on the 22nd, saying, "A junior colleague called me and said that a 9-year-old child came alone for treatment, so they told the child to call their parents. However, the parents reported the clinic to the public health center for refusal of treatment, and a public health official came with an order to investigate the refusal of treatment." He added, "My junior is very frustrated. Despite the pediatric clinic doing well, they plan to quit and stop seeing children," and also mentioned, "And this is the only pediatric clinic in this area."

Closure Notice of a Pediatric Clinic
[Image source: Photo by Im Hyuntaek, President of the Korean Pediatric Society, captured from Facebook]

On the 23rd, Im posted another message with a photo of a notice titled "The clinic will be closing." At the beginning of the notice, the clinic director stated, "For the safety of patients and accurate diagnosis, our clinic does not provide treatment to patients under 14 years old without a guardian unless it is an emergency." He continued, "Recently, a 9-year-old first-time patient came without guardian contact or accompaniment, and we informed them to bring a guardian. Afterwards, a complaint was filed with the public health center accusing us of refusal of treatment."

The director further explained, "There are court precedents holding doctors responsible for treatment without a guardian, and guardian accompaniment is the minimum duty of care for a sick child." He added, "Due to malicious complaints from guardians, despite our efforts to provide pediatric care under difficult circumstances, I have become deeply disillusioned and have reached a point where I can no longer continue pediatric treatment." He concluded by saying, "Regrettably, we will be limiting pediatric services, closing the pediatric department, and transitioning to adult care. We will be taking a long-term break for now."

Meanwhile, it was later revealed that a post was made on a mom's community cafe by someone presumed to be the guardian of the 9-year-old child. The author wrote, "I was contacted by the school saying my child had a fever, so after school, the child rested at home. I asked if the child could go to the hospital alone for an appointment, and the child said yes." They continued, "I made an appointment for the afternoon through the hospital's reservation app and sent the child according to the order, but the hospital contacted me saying that children under 14 cannot be treated without a guardian."

The author identified the clinic as a "frequently visited neighborhood pediatric clinic." They said, "Even though my child was very sick with a high fever, the hospital abruptly asked if I could arrive within 5 minutes. I said I was at work and couldn't come immediately, and they said the reception was closed and they couldn't reschedule the appointment, so my child just returned home." They added, "My child was crying a lot because of the pain, and I was furious inside. When I took my child to another hospital, the fever was 39.3°C." Finally, the author said, "I want to file a complaint somewhere immediately. I will call the public health center tomorrow first."

In response, Park Hyung-wook, a professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Dankook University College of Medicine, wrote on his Facebook, "If it is not an emergency, it is appropriate for a guardian to accompany the child to listen to explanations and give consent." He added, "If treatment is given to a 9-year-old child who came alone and side effects occur, the doctor could be criticized or sued for treating based solely on the child's words."

Closure Notice of a Pediatric Clinic in Gwangju
[Image Source=Yonhap News]

Earlier this month, a pediatric clinic in Gwangju also announced closure due to malicious false complaints from a guardian.

On the 6th, the clinic director announced, "For over 20 years, living as a pediatrician caring for precious children has been a blessing and joy for me, but due to malicious false complaints from the guardian of ○○○ (born in 2019), we will be closing the clinic as of August 5, 2023."

The director explained that during the treatment process for the patient, some non-reimbursable items were incurred, and although explanations were given and consent obtained from the guardian, the guardian later claimed the explanation was insufficient and requested a 2,000 KRW refund. Despite the refund being promptly issued, the guardian subsequently filed a complaint with the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA).

According to the HIRA Health Care Big Data Open System, while the number of neighborhood clinics nationwide has increased by nearly 7,000 over the past 10 years, the number of pediatric clinics has decreased by 53, from 2,200 in 2013 to 2,147 as of the first quarter of this year. Additionally, the Korean Pediatric Society held a press conference in March stating, "Over the past 10 years, pediatricians' income has decreased by 28%, reaching a point where it is no longer feasible to operate clinics," and declared, "We will no longer operate pediatric clinics."

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