Falsified Medical Records
Isolation and Restraint Without Physician's Orders
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has requested a prosecution investigation into the case where a patient died at a hospital operated by psychiatrist and broadcaster Yang Jae-woong.
The NHRCK Disability Discrimination Remedy Committee stated on the 19th, "We have requested a prosecution investigation into the hospital director, attending physician, and on-duty doctor for instructing or aiding the falsification of medical records." Patient A (33) died on May 27 last year, 17 days after being admitted under protective custody at the hospital operated by Yang. The cause of death according to the autopsy report was acute pseudo-intestinal obstruction.
The NHRCK judged that the hospital unjustly isolated and restrained patient A despite their poor health condition. During the process of A's death, the medical records were falsified. The records state that the on-duty doctor ordered two instances of isolation and restraint applied to A, but the actual person who gave the orders was the attending physician. When a nursing assistant restrained five parts of A's body, there was no doctor's order, but the medical records falsely indicated that the doctor had given the order.
In addition to requesting a prosecution investigation, the NHRCK also demanded thorough guidance, supervision, job training, and clear work regulations from the Bucheon Mayor of Gyeonggi Province and hospital director Yang. The NHRCK recommended that the Minister of Health and Welfare establish mandatory regulations requiring face-to-face examinations by specialists during restraint of psychiatric inpatients and allowing notification to guardians.
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