Woman airlifted 240 km to give birth after 18 hospitals unable to take her
Summary
A high-risk pregnant woman was airlifted about 240 kilometers from Pyeongtaek to Changwon on Oct. 8 after emergency responders could not find a nearby hospital able to treat her and her baby. She was less than 35 weeks pregnant, had gestational diabetes, and the fetus was in a breech position. She safely gave birth at Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, and both mother and baby were reported healthy.
Key Facts
- Responders contacted about 18 hospitals in surrounding areas, including South Chungcheong Province, but could not secure a facility with neonatal intensive care capabilities.
- The woman was transported by firefighting helicopter in about one hour, while an ambulance journey was estimated to take about four hours.
- The South Chungcheong Fire Headquarters aviation unit received the request through an integrated helicopter operation system and deployed an available aircraft.
- Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital was the facility that agreed to accept the woman after multiple hospitals were contacted.
Members of the South Chungcheong 119 Aviation Unit and paramedics transfer a high-risk pregnant woman to a firefighting helicopter in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 8 for an emergency flight to Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Courtesy of South Chungcheong Fire Headquarters
A high-risk pregnant woman whose water broke was airlifted about 240 kilometers from Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to a university hospital in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, after emergency responders were unable to find a nearby hospital capable of treating her and her baby.
Paramedics in Gyeonggi Province contacted about 18 hospitals in surrounding areas, including South Chungcheong Province, but were unable to secure a facility capable of providing neonatal intensive care.
According to the South Chungcheong Fire Headquarters on Thursday, its emergency responders were dispatched after receiving a request for assistance from Gyeonggi paramedics at around 4 a.m. on Oct. 8. The woman, who was at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Pyeongtaek, was transported by a firefighting helicopter to a university hospital in Changwon.
The woman had gestational diabetes and was less than 35 weeks pregnant when her water broke. The fetus was also in a breech position, requiring urgent medical care.
A fire official said the baby was expected to require treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit immediately after birth, but nearby hospitals were unable to accept the patient.
After contacting multiple hospitals, emergency responders found that Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital was able to accept her.
Fire authorities decided to transport the woman by helicopter after determining that an ambulance journey would take about four hours. The South Chungcheong Fire Headquarters' aviation unit received the request through an integrated helicopter operation system and quickly deployed an available aircraft, transporting the woman to Changwon in about an hour.
The woman safely gave birth after arriving at the hospital, and both the mother and baby are reported to be healthy.
"For high-risk pregnant women, rapid transportation and selecting an appropriate medical institution are more important than anything else," an official from the South Chungcheong Fire Headquarters said. "We will continue to strengthen cooperation with medical institutions and actively use air transportation systems so emergency patients can receive timely treatment."
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
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