Pregnant woman loses baby after she was turned away by 6 hospitals

A woman who was 29 weeks pregnant was airlifted 280 kilometers to Busan late Friday after six nearby hospitals declined to admit her, resulting in the death of the fetus, fire authorities said Sunday.

According to authorities, the woman had been admitted to an obstetrics clinic in Cheongju, North Gyeongsang Province, due to bleeding. The clinic called 119 around 11 p.m. after the fetal heart rate dropped.

Six hospitals refused the transfer, citing a shortage of available specialists, among other reasons. A helicopter brought her to Donga University Hospital in Busan about 3 1/2 hours after the initial call.

The fetus had already died by the time the mother reached the hospital. She is reportedly in stable condition.

Korean ambulances cannot move a patient to an ER without the receiving hospital's approval.

Refusals have grown more frequent in recent years, driven by chronic staff shortages and the medical staff's fear of criminal charges if a patient dies in their care. Doctors in Korea are prosecuted for medical negligence at higher rates than those in other developed countries, according to multiple studies.

In February, a 28-week pregnant woman in Daegu showing signs of preterm labor was turned away by seven local hospitals before being moved to a hospital near Seoul, more than 230 kilometers away.

She delivered twins by emergency cesarean, but only one survived.