[Q&A] Jeong Eun-kyung "Regrettable Case at Baek Hospital... Confirming 'Refusal of Treatment' for Daegu Patient"

Medical staff, hospital officials, and police are busily moving in front of Baek Hospital in Jung-gu, Seoul, which was closed due to a patient who was confirmed to have COVID-19 after being hospitalized while hiding the fact that they lived in Daegu. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Amid a 70-year-old woman who was admitted to Seoul Baek Hospital while hiding the fact that she lived in Daegu being confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), claims have emerged that this patient was refused treatment at another medical institution, causing confusion in response protocols. The quarantine authorities expressed a cautious stance, stating that an epidemiological investigation related to the confirmed patient is underway.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said at a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 9th, "I feel sorry about the (Seoul) Baek Hospital case," adding, "In the case of the Daegu region, since there is community infection, hospitals have concerns, and patients clearly worry about being refused treatment and not receiving timely care." She added, "Regarding the Baek Hospital case, an investigation is currently underway, and it is necessary to further confirm what symptoms the patient had and which medical institutions she visited."

◇ The following is a Q&A with Head Jung Eun-kyung regarding the confirmed patient at Seoul Baek Hospital

- How do you think we should respond to cases like the Baek Hospital incident, where patients coming from Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions are refused treatment and patients hide this fact when being admitted?

▲ In the case of the Daegu region, since there is some level of community infection, hospitals have concerns. From the patient's perspective, there is clearly a worry that they might not receive timely treatment due to refusal of care. However, it is necessary to discuss risk factors to some extent to conduct appropriate testing and preemptive isolation, which can prevent transmission within hospitals. Patients should provide such information as much as possible, and hospitals should establish a system to provide care through appropriate isolation and testing.

- It is reported that the confirmed patient at Baek Hospital was refused treatment or testing when visiting public health centers and hospitals. Have you identified where this occurred and how the patient described her condition at that time?

▲ An investigation is currently underway. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is investigating what symptoms the patient had and which places she visited.

- According to medical law, treatment refusal is possible under justifiable reasons. How should hospitals treat patients with travel history to Daegu and Gyeongbuk?

▲ Whether refusal of treatment solely because a patient came from Daegu or Gyeongbuk constitutes a justifiable reason needs to be discussed with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters. It is not an easy judgment. For example, if a patient is registered as a clear contact or under the DUR (Drug Utilization Review) system, it might be considered to some extent, but it is unreasonable to assume all people from Daegu and Gyeongbuk are infected. COVID-19 is a disease that is difficult to manage both in terms of quarantine and clinically.

In the past, we asked if patients had traveled to China and confirmed epidemiological links, but now, even if there is an epidemiological link from coming from Daegu, it is difficult to interpret this broadly. Symptoms are initially very mild and hard to distinguish, so there is much consideration about "what differential diagnosis or distinctions can ensure patients receive safe treatment while protecting medical institutions." We are currently consulting with the medical community and infection experts on measures to supplement the quarantine network and medical delivery system.

- A confirmed case was reported today at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, which is a nationally designated inpatient treatment bed. Was this infection acquired within the hospital?

▲ It is necessary to investigate whether the infection occurred within the hospital or through other routes. For now, more weight is being given to the possibility that the infection was acquired outside the hospital.