South Korea’s government has launched an investigation into the death of a woman in her 80s after her ambulance was denied entry to several hospitals due to the ongoing doctor’s strike.
The patient died in the ambulance after suffering cardiac arrest.
About 70% of junior doctors have been on strike for the past week protesting plans to train up more physicians.
That’s put emergency rooms under pressure, with the government alleging doctors have risked public health.
Paramedics in the city of Daejon on Friday had called around seven hospitals to take the woman, but were turned away due to a lack of staffing and beds.
She was eventually admitted to a public university hospital 67 minutes after she first called for help, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
On Tuesday, government officials said they would investigate the case, which has been widely reported in South Korean media.
It is believed to be the first death linked to the doctor strikes, where interns and residents are protesting government plans to add more doctors due to competition fears.
South Korea has one of the lowest doctor-per-patient ratios among the group of OECD countries – only 2.5 per 1,000 people – and significant shortages in critical practices such as obstetrics and paediatrics.
Successive governments have tried to open up medical school placements – but have consistently come up against stiff opposition from doctor groups.
