South Korea Healthcare Crisis: Pregnant Vietnamese Tourist Gives Birth in an Ambulance

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A Vietnamese woman gave birth in an ambulance outside Incheon Airport, highlighting South Korea's healthcare crisis. She fainted at the airport and endured a two-hour ordeal as 13 hospitals refused admittance due to a lack of obstetricians.

The incident unfolded when the woman fainted at Incheon International Airport around 12:20 p.m. on Sunday. Initial attempts to admit her to Inha University Hospital failed, as the hospital cited an obstetrician shortage. Emergency responders then struggled to find her care, facing further rejections from hospitals, especially as a language barrier prevented conveying how far along she was in her pregnancy.

While waiting outside Inha University Hospital, her condition escalated; paramedics swiftly intervened, performing an emergency delivery at 2:33 p.m. Both mother and newborn, a baby boy, were eventually admitted to the hospital for follow-up care.

This case underscores the strain on South Korea's medical system, exacerbated by a continuing strike. Thousands of junior doctors have protested a government proposal to increase medical school admissions since February last year, hoping to address the shortages in key medical fields like obstetrics. The strike has led to significant hospital service delays and frequent emergency room rejections, affecting patient care nationwide, reported VN Express.