741 Cases of Quarantine · 118 Cases of Obsession
Highest in the Last 5 Years
Psychiatrist and broadcaster Yang Jae-woong's psychiatric hospital has seen the highest number of patient isolation measures in the past five years this year.
According to data received on the 14th by Seo Mi-hwa, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the isolation measures (locking patients in isolation rooms) implemented at Director Yang's hospital located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, reached 741 cases from January to August 18 this year. Previously, there were 622 cases in 2020, 444 in 2021, 247 in 2022, and 557 in 2023.
Compulsive restraints, which involve tying the patient's hands and feet to the bed, are also expected to be the highest this year. The year with the highest number of restraint measures recently was 2021, with 121 cases, while this year's restraint cases at the hospital amounted to 118. Considering the remaining fourth quarter, it is expected to set a five-year record high.
Earlier, in May, Yang Jae-woong was embroiled in controversy after a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, who was admitted to his hospital, died from pseudo-intestinal obstruction after 17 days. At the time, Ms. A was hospitalized for treatment of addiction to diet pills containing narcotic substances but experienced difficulty with bowel movements and intermittent abdominal pain. The day before her death, she complained of severe abdominal pain and knocked on the door of the isolation room (rest room), but it was revealed that a nursing assistant and a caregiver administered sedatives and carried out restraint measures. Ms. A's bereaved family filed a complaint with the police against six medical staff members on charges of neglect resulting in death and professional negligence causing death. They also disclosed Ms. A's identity and stated, "We demand a thorough investigation into the medical malpractice caused by the hospital's inappropriate drug prescriptions and management, and strict punishment for those responsible for our daughter's death."
In response, Yang Jae-woong appeared to be conscious of the police investigation and public criticism, indefinitely postponing his wedding scheduled for last month. In an interview with the media, he said, "It is a very tragic and regrettable incident. As the hospital director, I deeply feel responsible," but also stated, "I do not believe the medical staff intentionally neglected the patient." He further emphasized, "The two instances of restraint were unavoidable due to the risk of self-harm and harm to others, and the fundamental issue in the death case is not the isolation and restraint but the dangers of phentermine (Dietamin) addiction."
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