KB News Desk
A South Korean hospital that had treated an unconscious Chinese patient for more than six years was left with over 800 million won ($550,000) in unpaid medical bills after the patient died, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said Wednesday.
The commission recommended that relevant authorities establish measures to support hospitals with unpaid medical costs involving unaccompanied foreign patients and to facilitate their repatriation.
According to the commission, the Chinese national entered South Korea on a tourist visa in September 2019 and collapsed after working in the country for nine days. After being treated at several medical institutions, the patient was transferred in December that year to a hospital in Ulsan while in a coma.
The hospital continued treating the patient for more than six years because it could not refuse or discontinue necessary care under relevant laws, the commission said.
During that period, unpaid medical bills accumulated to about 840 million won. The patient’s family in China said they could not afford the costs and submitted documents waiving further treatment.
The hospital filed a petition with the commission in July last year.
The commission discussed medical expenses and possible repatriation of the patient with the Health Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Ulsan Metropolitan Government, but said the case was difficult to resolve because there are no existing rules about providing financial or repatriation assistance.
The patient died in April, leaving the hospital with no way to recover the outstanding costs.
To prevent similar cases, the commission recommended creating a system to support the repatriation of unconscious foreign nationals without family or other support in Korea, as well as undocumented foreign residents, and to help cover unpaid medical bills.
Ulsan said it would prepare an administrative support manual for relevant departments, while the Foreign Ministry pledged to strengthen diplomatic assistance when similar cases arise.
