Amid a patient death incident at the hospital run by Yang Jae-woong, a psychiatrist and public figure, reports have emerged claiming that the hospital has been consistently managing relationships with closely related government agencies for over a decade, employing dedicated personnel for this purpose.
On October 17th, The news outlet Hankyoreh reported an interview with a former employee, known as A, who worked at W Jin Hospital operated by Yang Jae-woong. The report revealed that incidents due to negligent patient care had occurred even before the recent death case.
According to the report, this was what A said about W Jin Hospital, “First of all, they don’t take good care of patients. Wasn’t that the case with the death incident in May? I understand that when the patient was banging on the door of the isolation room, clutching their stomach and leaking feces. Instead of transferring her to a higher-level hospital, they just kept giving medication and restraining her, with no doctor coming to check. They abandoned the patient. And there have been major incidents before this as well.”
A recounted an incident around 2017 when a patient admitted to the second floor possessed a box cutter and cut their throat in the smoking room at the end of the ward. He explained, “Usually, security guards check belongings upon admission or return, but there were no security guards on the second floor that day. It happened due to a lack of medical staff during certain hours,” adding, “First aid, including stopping the bleeding, was performed by the administration staff until the fire department paramedics arrived.”
In response, Dr. Yang initially denied these claims, saying they were “groundless.” However, when presented with the specific year of occurrence, he acknowledged the incident, countering, “At that time, the ward in question was an open ward where patients could freely come and go, making it easier to bring in prohibited items, and there were limitations to staff inspections.” A, however, argued, “While the hospital reported the second floor where the incident occurred as an open ward, in reality, it was a closed ward where patients couldn’t go outside.”
Furthermore, A claimed that the hospital had been continuously engaged in managing relationships with closely related government agencies for over a decade. Dr. Yang initially denied this but later explained, “The employee in question has been working at our hospital since its establishment until now, and has been in the mental health field for 30 years, currently earning an annual salary of about 140 million won.”
Dr. Yang elaborated, “Due to the nature of psychiatric hospitals where patients with risks of self-harm or ability to harm others are admitted, there’s a need for frequent communication with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, public health centers, and the police (regarding police referrals for psychiatric emergencies in the area). This person is not exclusively dedicated to government relations but serves as the head of general hospital administration.”
Previously, in May, a woman in her 30s, B, who was admitted for treatment of diet pill addiction at Yang Jae-woong’s hospital, died after 17 days of hospitalization. This incident came to light in July, two months after B’s death.
The bereaved family filed a criminal complaint against the medical staff for negligent homicide and submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission. The police are investigating the chief director and staff members for violations of medical law.
Yang Jae-woong apologized, saying, “Regarding the incident that occurred during the hospitalization process, I, along with the entire medical staff, cannot hide our devastated feelings. We sincerely apologize to the bereaved family who must be in deep sorrow after losing their loved one.” However, he faced public criticism for speaking out only two months after the incident occurred.
Notably, Yang Jae-woong was scheduled to marry girl group member and actress Hani, with whom he is in a public relationship, last month. However, their wedding has been indefinitely postponed due to ongoing criticisms directed not only at Yang Jae-woong but also at his fiancée, Hani.
Source: Daum
