Dispute intensifies over police search of pediatric emergency room

A recent police search of Ajou University Hospital’s pediatric emergency center as part of an investigation into an infant’s death has sparked an uproar among medical groups, warning that police sweeps of emergency rooms obstruct vital treatment when seconds count.

Regional medical associations, including one in Daegu, condemned the search Friday, a day after the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine (KSPEM) voiced their objections.

Police maintain that they conducted the search under a court-issued warrant. Doctors counter that searching an emergency facility providing round-the-clock care for critically ill patients disrupts treatment and puts further pressure on essential medical services already under strain.

The investigation stems from the death of a 4-month-old infant at the hospital in Gyeonggi Province on July 15. The child’s parents lodged a complaint alleging medical negligence about a month later.

The infant reportedly developed breathing difficulties and other symptoms during a first outpatient visit to the hospital. The child was transferred to the pediatric emergency center for treatment but could not be saved.

Eight officers from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency searched the pediatric emergency center, the pediatrics department and other areas of the hospital on Wednesday.

Investigators said they sought a warrant without first asking the hospital to submit records voluntarily, citing the need to secure evidence promptly. Along with electronic medical records, they sought materials they believed the hospital could potentially alter.

Children were receiving treatment during the search. As officers examined computers used for patient care, medical staff had to move to other workstations.

Investigators said they took steps to minimize disruption to care. But Kwak Young-ho, an emergency medicine professor at Seoul National University Hospital and former president of the KSPEM, challenged that explanation. “Emergency centers are continuously occupied, and children receiving treatment require constant observation," Kwak said.

Doctors also warn that searches of emergency facilities following complaints alleging medical negligence could heighten fears of criminal liability, discouraging physicians from entering or remaining in specialties that provide lifesaving care.

The controversy has prompted calls for greater caution when executing search warrants in emergency care settings. Critics say investigators need procedures tailored to emergency departments, operating rooms and intensive care units.

“Patient safety must take precedence whenever emergency treatment is underway, and clear standards are needed to limit compulsory investigative measures to what is strictly necessary,” a KSPEM official said.