By Kim Tae-jong
The extended family of a multicultural baby have filed a compensation suit against a hospital for an injury sustained on their baby’s finger.
The lawsuit came as the 10-month-old baby, surnamed Na, was hospitalized at Kwangju Christian Hospital in southwestern city of Gwangju for pneumonia on Feb. 23 and an inexperienced nurse accidentally cut the lower end of the baby boy’s little finger while removing a dressing on his left hand with scissors.
He was immediately sent to an intensive care unit and released from the hospital 28 days later.
His family said they had to take legal action as the bank refused to compensate them except for the exemption of medical fees, arguing that the hospital is taking advantage of the baby’s parents’ inability to properly react to the medical accident.
His mother is a Filipino who has difficulty communicating in Korean and his father is mentally challenged, the family says.
“It’s obvious that the hospital insincerely tried to handle the issue because the hospital disrespects the baby’s parents,” Na Seung-ji, said the baby’s uncle. “The hospital simply requested the mother to leave with the baby once the treatment was completed without following proper procedure.”
At first, the mother had no choice but to return home without complaining, but the baby had to be returned to the hospital again on May 17 as he had suffered from after-effects such as occasional convulsions, the uncle said.
In fear of possible health complications, the baby’s family initially requested 10 million won ($9,200) in compensation without a lawsuit, but the hospital rejected the request, Na said.
The family also finds it inappropriate for the hospital to hold the nurse responsible for the accident.
“The nurse and her mother visited us to beg us to settle quietly in fear that the nurse may have disadvantages in her career. They sincerely felt sorry about the accident. But shouldn’t the hospital take responsibility for the accident?” Na said.
In response, the hospital admitted it was an apparent medical accident and they tried to make reasonable compensation.
“We were negotiating compensation but their request was way too much. And most importantly, we did our best to take care of the baby and the baby’s injury was minor, without long-term health complications,” an official from the hospital said.
The official also said the hospital never forced the nurse to visit the baby’s family, saying it was just her personal volition.