Hospital Backlash

[Anchor Lead]

An elderly woman was seriously injured in the automatic revolving door of Asan Medical Center recently. The hospital refused to compensate for injuries at first, but changed its attitude after the issue received media spotlight. It didn’t even apologize until it found itself in the hot seat. Here’s more.

[Pkg]

This is one of the revolving doors installed in Asan Medical Center in Seoul. An 80-year old woman was hit by the door last month. She suffered a hip fracture and has undergone surgery, but it remains to be seen if she will ever be able to walk normally again.

[Soundbite] (Victim's Son (Voice modified)) : "My mother was injured at the hospital and had to undergo surgery. It's dumbfounding for us."

Although there was a sensor in the door, it failed to stop the door from revolving when the accident occurred. The hospital refused to apologize to the victim and told her to settle the matter with her insurance company.

[Soundbite] (Asan Medical Center's Legal Affairs Team (Voice modified)) : "This is similar to a traffic accident. We are also insured. (Is my mother a car? What kind of traffic accident is this?)"

The current law mandates hospitals to install other kinds of doors in addition to revolving ones for patients and the elderly. However, there was only a revolving door at the site of the accident in Asan Medical Center and no signs notifying visitors about any other doors. The hospital did not apologize to the elderly woman until the matter was brought to KBS's attention. Asan Medical Center has promised to find ways to compensate the victim.