South Korean Woman Airlifted 150 km After 25 Hospitals Reject Her
A pregnant woman in South Korea was rejected by 25 hospitals due to staff shortages before being airlifted 150 km for an emergency Caesarean section.
A medical emergency in South Korea has reignited public debate over the collapse of the country's emergency healthcare system. A pregnant woman in her 30s, at 35 weeks of gestation, experienced a life-threatening situation due to premature rupture of membranes, but was rejected by 25 hospitals that stated they were unable to treat her.
Emergency Helicopter Transfer
Due to the imminent risk of infection and severe delivery complications, emergency responders were forced to airlift the pregnant woman by a special helicopter to a hospital located approximately 150 kilometers away from her home, according to the national news agency Yonhap.
The dramatic incident began at 02:07 AM, when the woman called the emergency hotline from the city of Anseong in Gyeonggi Province following the early rupture of membranes. Paramedics arriving at the scene immediately identified the condition as premature rupture of membranes before the 37th week—a serious medical emergency placing both the mother and the fetus at grave risk of infection, requiring immediate delivery and close monitoring.
Nationwide Hospital Shortages
Medical teams at the emergency dispatch center contacted dozens of medical centers across Gyeonggi Province, the capital Seoul, and neighboring regions, including institutions specializing in high-risk pregnancies, but encountered a blanket refusal. The reason for the negative responses was a severe shortage of obstetrical staff, pediatricians, and available beds in neonatal departments.
We feel deep empathy for the fear and justified anxiety experienced by the mother and her family after being forced to fly hundreds of kilometers by helicopter because no hospital could accept them, said Prof. Hong Sang-gi, who led the surgery.
Only after exhausting all options in the central region did the Jesus Hospital in the city of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, agree to accept the patient. The National Fire Agency scrambled a special rescue helicopter that flew her a distance of about 150 kilometers. The helicopter landed at 05:16 AM, where extended teams of obstetricians, pediatricians, and anesthesiologists were already waiting on the hospital helipad, prepared for an urgent Caesarean section.
The surgery was successfully completed, and both mother and newborn are now under medical observation and recovering well. Prof. Hong added that rapid treatment upon landing prevented a disaster, noting that fortunately, the lives of both were saved.