[Breaking] Nursing Hospital Exploiting Cancer Patients' Money After Seizing Allowances from Salt Farm Victims

Claims of 20-30% Cash Paybacks on Cancer Patient Hospital Fees
No Proper Treatment Provided... Visits to Seoul and Hwasun Hospitals
Patients Purchase Specialized Medicines Directly from Pharmaceutical Companies
Inpatient Rooms Provided to Outpatients to Encourage Long-Term Hospitalization
Massage Equipment and Medications Hidden After Media Reports
"Questions Raised About Hospital Director and Investigative Agencies Turning a Blind Eye"

Exterior view of C Nursing Hospital in Samgak-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju.

"They are confining cancer patients with the lure of paybacks. Even when illegal activities are uncovered, investigative agencies are just standing by, which is extremely frustrating."

On January 5, during an interview with reporters, Mr. A said, "My wife, Mrs. B, has been hospitalized for several years as a cancer patient in the cancer ward at C Nursing Hospital in Samgak-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju," and added, "However, C Nursing Hospital is not providing proper treatment, and by repeatedly engaging in illegal medical practices, Mrs. B's health has been deteriorating."

It has now been eight years since Mrs. B was admitted to C Nursing Hospital. According to Mr. A, Mrs. B spends about 9 million won every month on hospital fees, and receives a cash payback of about 3 million won, which is 30% of the total, from the nursing hospital. At this hospital, patients are given a cash payback of 20 to 30 percent of their hospital fees, depending on the amount and duration of their stay.

In particular, most cancer patients, including Mrs. B, are seeing their conditions worsen, yet they are unable to break free from the temptation of paybacks. Mr. A said that whenever he tried to persuade Mrs. B to seek proper treatment elsewhere, she would reply, "Other places might not offer paybacks like this."

The real issue is that, despite spending 9 million won on hospital fees, proper treatment is not being provided in most cases. Mr. A explained, "High-frequency treatment is priced at 300,000 to 400,000 won per session, and massages for skin care and other purposes are set at 150,000 won. Every month, Manager Kim schedules these treatments. Patients are required to purchase their own medicines, mix their own IV solutions, and only the injections are administered by nurses. It is distressing that Mrs. B is paying millions of won in hospital fees, yet her condition is worsening, forcing her to seek chemotherapy and other treatments at Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital and a hospital in Seoul."

Previously, Mrs. B had been hospitalized for about five years as a cancer patient at another nursing hospital located in Yudong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. During that time, Manager Kim recommended that she transfer to C Nursing Hospital, and as a result, six cancer patients, including Mrs. B, moved and were admitted there.

Mr. A said, "I cannot understand why cancer patients are spending extra money to buy specialized medicines, such as vitamins, directly from pharmaceutical company employees and are adjusting the dosages themselves. In the past, I once found oral medication in a car and asked about it, only to be told, 'It's chemotherapy medication that I bought in advance. Everyone does it this way.'"

He continued, "After recent media reports, the hospital has collected all medications, including those personally kept by patients, as well as massage machines, and is now storing them separately. At C Nursing Hospital, they are spreading false rumors to reassure patients, saying things like, 'Other nursing hospitals have committed even greater illegal acts, but nothing happened.'"

C Nursing Hospital has also shown a calculated approach by providing inpatient rooms even during outpatient treatment periods to encourage long-term hospitalization. They are exploiting the fact that most insurance companies only cover hospitalization for cancer patients for about six months by providing inpatient rooms during outpatient treatment periods and then readmitting patients afterward.

Mr. A pointed out, "Illegal medical practices are openly taking place at the hospital, but they just say, 'There's no way we'll get caught, so don't worry. There's no need to be discharged,' which is frustrating. The real problem is not the fear of being caught for illegal acts, but that patients are not receiving proper treatment. It is also questionable that the hospital director is aware that patients are purchasing specialized medicines themselves, yet does nothing to stop it."

Meanwhile, C Nursing Hospital is under police investigation after evidence emerged that, over several years, it had misappropriated the living allowances of Shinan labor exploitation victims and residents. Pastor Park, the owner of the hospital building, was indicted by the prosecution for quasi-fraud and embezzlement after siphoning off 90 million won from a former patient's account as a deposit and embezzling about 20 million won in six separate instances.

Additionally, suspicions have been raised that illegal medical practices are taking place in the cancer ward at C Nursing Hospital, including the disguised hospitalization of patient Lim, the hiring of ghost nurses, the management and administration of specialized medicines by patients themselves, and the falsification of documents for non-covered medical procedures to commit insurance fraud.