A doctor of Korean medicine was fined 20 million won ($15,000) after a 92-year-old patient died from a tear in the heart muscle while receiving acupuncture treatment for back pain, the Daejeon District Court said Saturday.
The doctor was accused of causing the tear while performing acupuncture on the patient's chest at about 2:35 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2022. The patient died at about 5:08 p.m. the same day.
Prosecutors said the doctor failed to check the patient's pulse or explain the risks of acupuncture on the chest. They also said he left the patient unattended for about 15 minutes after the patient complained of chest pain and showed signs of breathing difficulty, until the patient lost consciousness.
The court noted that the case had resulted in the serious consequence of the patient’s death, but took into account the doctor’s admission of wrongdoing and remorse, as well as his settlement with the patient’s family.
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