Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Cheil hospital on verge of shutting down
An annex building of Cheil General Hospital in Seoul is shown. The famous ob/gyn hospital recently announced a halt to most medical services as it has faced financial difficulties from the nation's nosediving birthrate. Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center, one of the nation's most famous ob/gyn hospitals and the country's first women's healthcare center, is on the verge of closing down due to the increasingly low birthrate.
The country's first child delivery-specialized hospital, which has been in operation for 55 years, announced recently it would suspend most of its treatments and services.
“Due to our circumstances we will not be able to provide examinations and treatments for the time being. We sincerely ask for your understanding,” the hospital announced via a message on its website and a text message to patients, Friday. “If you are in need of a patient referral form or other medical records, please come by the hospital.”
Last month, the hospital closed down its ward and delivery room, but from now on it will halt medical services to outpatients as well. Only the emergency room is available, but only at limited times of the day and not on weekends.
Patients who received the text message have been busy requesting their medical records and transferring to other hospitals.
“I received a message that Cheil Hospital will halt medical services. I was scheduled for my complete medical examination next week,” a patient wrote on an online bulletin board.
“What will happen to my frozen egg that has been preserved at the hospital?” another person wrote.
“It was the most popular hospital to give birth at in the past, and all my siblings and I were born there,” a Seoul resident in her early 40s said. “I myself also gave birth to my daughter at the hospital. Until that time, there were a large number of patients, so usually I had to wait for an hour to see the doctor. I cannot believe the hospital is on the verge of closing down.”
For years, the hospital has been suffering from financial difficulties due to the country's low birthrate.
In 2012, the hospital helped women give birth to 6,808 babies but that number dropped to 4,202 last year, a decline of 38 percent over six years.
Medical experts say the hospital has been unable to find a solution to turn the hospital back around, failing to adapt to the changing childbirth trend which made the financial crisis inevitable.
The hospital was successful in the 1970s and 80s focusing on child delivery procedures, but times have changed and the hospital should have switched its focus toward treating patients who have difficulty giving birth or expanding its postnatal care centers to better fit the new needs, experts say.
A conflict between management and the hospital union made matters even worse.
As countermeasures against financial difficulties, the management planned to reduce salaries and the hospital union went on strike in June. Non-medical staffers' payments were cut in July, and many of them have resigned or taken a leave of absence in the process. Since October, doctors have not received their full salaries. The head position at the hospital also remains vacant.
It seems the management's corruption has aggravated the situation.
The Bangbae Police in Seoul questioned the chairman of the hospital's board, surnamed Lee, on Dec. 17 on suspicions of breach of duty as he allegedly inflated renovation costs between 2008 and 2014 and pocketed 10 billion won ($9 million) from it.
In April, the hospital union filed a complaint with the prosecution against the chairman over the allegation.