String of deaths attributed to doctors' walkout

The police have launched an investigation into a series of deaths of patients at hospitals in Busan in the midst of the current strike of medical professionals that began on September. 15

Around noon on September 16, Na Bok-Man (61), under in-patient treatment at the Han Hospital in Busan, died while in transit to another hospital after complaining of chest pains.

Na was admitted to the hospital on September. 15 due to pains in his right leg and was given two injections of intravenous pain-killers and one of muscle relaxant. While recovering at the hospital on the same day, he complained of chest pains and asked to see a doctor, but as the hospital's doctors were on strike, he had to be transported to another hospital and

died while in transit.

The police summoned the emergency room doctor who had initially seen the patient and other hospital personnel, and also ordered an autopsy of the deceased body.

On the same day around 6 p.m., 43 year-old Kim Oh-Shin, a patient undergoing surgery at Busan Young-Do Hospital to correct a slipped disc, suffered internal bleeding from the main artery into the abdominal cavity, leading to his death.

Doctors stated to police that the patient had come to the hospital with symptoms of a slipped disc but during the surgery, the main artery began bleeding profusely. The police launched an investigation to confirm the doctors' statements and have ordered an autopsy of the body.