The psychiatrist and broadcaster Yang Jae-woong apologized for the death of a patient at his hospital.
Yang Jae-woong issued an official statement through Mystic Story on the 29th. "I cannot hide my devastated feelings. I apologize to the bereaved family who must be in deep sorrow after losing their loved one," he said.
He added, "This incident occurred at the hospital where I serve as the president. As the director of W Jin Hospital, I am taking this incident very seriously and bow my head in apology."
Previously, SBS reported on the death incident at Yang's hospital on the 26th. It was reported that a 33-year-old female patient, Ms. A, died on May 27th after being neglected at a famous psychiatric hospital.
The hospital in question was 'W Jin Hospital,' operated by Yang Jae-woong. Ms. A had been admitted to the hospital for treatment of addiction to diet pills containing narcotic ingredients.
According to the autopsy report by the National Forensic Service, Ms. A's cause of death was pseudo-obstruction. Ms. A showed intermittent abdominal pain after being admitted. She complained of abdominal pain the day before her death.
The bereaved family of Ms. A claimed, "The hospital neglected her, leading to her death as her health deteriorated." Last month, they filed a lawsuit against six medical staff members for negligent homicide and manslaughter due to professional negligence.
Yang Jae-woong also reported on the progress of the investigation. "We are doing our best to cooperate by providing medical charts and CCTV footage that contain all the details of the situation at the time," he said.
The police are currently securing CCTV hard disks and medical records from the hospital. The footage shows Ms. A clutching her stomach and knocking on the door of the isolation room.
Later, it shows nursing assistants entering the room, administering a sedative to Ms. A, and tying her hands, feet, and chest to the bed. Ms. A freed herself from the restraints, but eventually collapsed and died.
The hospital explained that Ms. A had chronic constipation and did not continuously complain of abdominal pain, making it difficult to suspect obstruction. They claimed there was no problem with the response on the day of the incident.
Yang Jae-woong said, "As the specific details of the treatment process and the incident are currently under investigation, we ask that speculative writings and sensational reports about the treatment process be refrained from."
He also promised, "All medical staff will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and will sincerely comply. We will take responsibility based on the medical and legal judgments that result from the investigation."
Meanwhile, the police plan to investigate both Ms. A's family and Yang Jae-woong. They will consult medical experts to determine whether the actions of Yang's hospital are causally related to Ms. A's death.
<The following is Yang Jae-woong's full statement>
Hello, I am Yang Jae-woong.
First of all, regarding the incident that occurred during the hospitalization process at W Jin Hospital, I and the entire medical staff cannot hide our devastated feelings and sincerely apologize to the bereaved family who are in deep sorrow after losing their loved one.
This incident occurred at the hospital where I serve as the president, and as the director of W Jin Hospital, I am taking this incident very seriously.
We are doing our best to cooperate with external organizations by providing medical charts and CCTV footage that contain all the details of the situation at the time for the ongoing investigation.
As the specific details of the treatment process and the incident are currently under investigation, we ask that speculative writings and sensational reports about the treatment process be refrained from.
Due to the current medical law, medical professionals have a duty not to disclose patient treatment details, so we ask for your understanding that we cannot respond in detail to the inquiries.
Not only myself but all medical staff will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and will sincerely comply. We will take responsibility based on the medical and legal judgments that result from it.
Once again, we extend our deep condolences and sympathy to the bereaved family.
<Photo Source=Yang Jae-woong's SNS>