Controversy Over "Pediatric Clinic Open Run Due to Moms Enjoying Brunch" Remarks... Mom Cafes Boiling

Controversy Grows Over KMA Opinion Piece
"A Country Where Raising Children Feels Painful"

A medical professional's claim that the so-called 'pediatric open run' phenomenon, where a large number of patients flock to pediatric clinics right at opening time, is due to "young mothers enjoying brunch (a combination of breakfast and lunch)" has sparked controversy. Among mothers with young children, criticism poured in, saying the comment "shows a lack of understanding of reality."

On the 7th, posts strongly criticizing the 'brunch remark' flooded mom cafes and social networking services (SNS). One netizen pointed out, "After worrying all night because their child was sick, they rush out as soon as the clinic opens. What are you talking about?" and added, "Maybe this kind of thoughtless comment comes from people who don't have children or who leave all child-rearing duties to their wives and ignore it themselves."

Another netizen expressed outrage, saying, "It's unbelievable that a doctor would say something like this," and "In a country where raising children is so heartbreaking and full of social pressure, who would want to have kids?"

Earlier, Woo Bong-sik, Director of the Medical Policy Research Institute at the Korean Medical Association, analyzed in a recent article that the cause of the so-called 'emergency room cycling' and 'pediatric open run' medical institution overheating phenomena is "due to the consolidation of the '1339 emergency call,' which is responsible for triage and transport of emergency patients, into 119 following a legal amendment."

Domestic Pediatrics and Adolescents. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "Non-expert firefighters send even mild patients to large hospitals, resulting in mild patients making up nearly 90% of emergency room visitors, which prevents severe patients from receiving timely treatment," he pointed out.

Regarding the pediatric open run, he stated, "The fundamental cause is the difficulty in maintaining clinics due to the declining pediatric population caused by low birth rates." Director Woo added, "Another cause is the concentration of patients in the morning as more working mothers increase," and claimed, "There are cases where young mothers rush to pediatric clinics at opening time to finish treatment early, send their children to daycare centers, and then enjoy brunch time with friends."

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