"Help me, it's truly hell"... What happened at Soonchunhyang University Hospital?

Medical staff are busy moving at the temporary screening clinic of Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, where a recent COVID-19 cluster infection occurred, has been embroiled in controversy over lax quarantine measures. There are criticisms that despite the surge in confirmed cases, the hospital is filling work gaps with only the existing nursing staff.

On the 19th, an online community post titled "Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital is Hell" was uploaded.

A person identified as an employee of Soonchunhyang University Hospital, referred to as A, revealed, "Help us. It’s really hell. We are working by endlessly rotating helpers (support staff) across various wards. When someone goes into isolation or tests positive, they are sent as helpers to other wards. After finishing as a helper, they become active monitors (who are deployed)." They added, "Is there any law that says no one among them will test positive? Existing ward patients? No one knows or can keep track. When there is a shortage of staff, it’s just like 'You go today' without any consideration."

They continued, "I can’t even drink a sip of water for over 9 hours. The higher-ups have instructed us not to drink water. There is no countermeasure as the number of positive cases increases every day on testing days during the incubation period. Help us," they said.

Today (20th), as the number of confirmed cases related to Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul approaches 200, a post appealing from an employee has been uploaded on an online community, sparking controversy.
/Photo by Online Community Capture

Another employee’s revelation followed. In another post, a person identifying themselves as a Soonchunhyang University employee said, "Even when confirmed cases appear, (nurses) are not put into self-quarantine but only classified as active monitoring targets," adding, "Close contacts are not properly investigated either."

Meanwhile, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital reported that since the first confirmed cases (two inpatients) on the 12th, related confirmed cases nationwide have exceeded 200 as of the 20th. From the 17th, cohort isolation (group quarantine) has been implemented on floors 5 to 9 of the main building wards. The third round of mass testing is scheduled to take place from the 24th to the 26th.