Authorities have launched an investigation after a doctor was accused of performing an abortion on the wrong patient in August.
CNN reports that the incident happened in Seoul, South Korea, after a woman who was six weeks pregnant arrived at a clinic in the Gangseo district for a prenatal checkup and a nutrient injection. Gangseo police said the doctor failed the check the woman’s identification. Further, the medical charts were disorganized and somehow the woman’s chart was reportedly mistaken for another patient’s chart.
A Gangseo police official said that both the doctor and a nurse have acknowledged the mistake.
“The doctor and nurse have acknowledged their fault,” the official said. “They are now being accused of negligence resulting in bodily harm.”
According to South Korean news outlet, YNA, the victim “fell asleep under anesthesia” and wasn’t aware of what was happening. The nurse is accused of injecting the woman with anesthesia without asking her name and the physician is accused of performing the procedure without confirming her identity.
South Korea pushed legalized abortion in April this year after a 66-year ban. According to CNN, South Korea’s constitutional court ruled that lawmakers must revise the current laws to lift the ban by December 31, 2020.
As of now, however, abortion is still considered illegal, aside from certain exceptions, and punishable by up to a year in jail. Yet, South Korea’s Health Ministry reported that around 5,000 South Korean women had an abortion within the past year, according to the outlet.
On Monday, police announced that they launched an investigation into the incident. So far, there have been no arrests.
The story is developing. Check back for further updates.
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[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
