A hospital ward. This photo is not directly related to the article. [123rf]
A hospital ward. This photo is not directly related to the article. [123rf]

A South Korean hospital treated an unconscious Chinese patient for more than six years but has been unable to collect more than 800 million won ($546,000) in medical bills, it has emerged. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has recommended that relevant authorities establish a system to cover medical costs and support the repatriation of unaccompanied foreign patients.

According to the commission, a Chinese national entered South Korea on a tourist visa in September 2019 and collapsed after working in the country for nine days. He was transferred through several medical facilities before being admitted to a hospital in a coma in December of that year.

The hospital was legally barred from refusing or discontinuing treatment under the Emergency Medical Service Act and the Medical Service Act, and continued caring for the patient for about six years. Unpaid medical bills accumulated to approximately 840 million won over that period.

The patient's family, including children living in China, said they were unable to pay the bills due to financial hardship and submitted a document relinquishing responsibility for his treatment.

The hospital filed a complaint with the commission in July last year. The commission held discussions with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ulsan and other relevant agencies on covering the costs and arranging repatriation, but no solution was reached because no applicable support regulations existed.

The patient died in April, leaving the hospital with virtually no means of recovering the medical expenses it had incurred.

To prevent similar cases, the commission recommended that relevant agencies establish procedures to support the repatriation of unaccompanied undocumented foreign patients in a comatose state and create a mechanism to compensate medical institutions for unpaid bills.

Ulsan said it would develop an administrative support manual for relevant departments, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would strengthen diplomatic support when similar complaints arise.


bbo@heraldcorp.com