30 Patient Deaths in 5 Years Due to Hospital Medication Errors and 125 Wrong Site Surgeries

Total mandatory-reportable serious safety incidents reached 181 cases between January 30, 2021, and May 31, 2024, with medication-related errors accounting for over 60 percent of the fatalities. Large hospitals bore the vast majority of these incidents, concentrating 93.4 percent of all reported events across tertiary and general hospitals.

Mandatory Reporting Data Reveals Medication Errors Drive Fatal Incidents

Intermediate moderate injuries accounted for 37 cases at 20.4 percent, while severe injuries totaled 3 cases at 1.7 percent. Deaths and mild injuries were the most frequent, each occurring in 48 cases, or 26.5 percent. Under the Patient Safety Act, hospitals with 200 or more beds and general hospitals with 100 or more beds must report serious safety incidents to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Medication errors involving incorrect drugs or improper dosages caused 30 of the 48 deaths, equating to 62.5 percent. Additional fatal causes included transfusion accidents at 6 cases, surgical accidents at 2 cases, general anesthesia accidents at 2 cases, and physical violence at 8 cases. Large hospitals absorbed 93.4 percent of all safety incidents, led by 86 cases in tertiary hospitals and 83 cases in general hospitals. By location, Seoul recorded 49 cases, Gyeonggi recorded 43 cases, and Busan recorded 15 cases.

Lawmaker So-byung-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea stated that small mistakes or negligence in medical settings greatly affect patient safety, urging the government to strengthen prevention systems by detailing the causes of repeated accidents.

In a parliamentary audit on October 7, People Power Party lawmaker Lee So-hee questioned Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eun-kyeong regarding consecutive patient deaths during implant procedures at a dental clinic in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Minister Jung stated that the Ministry would review system improvement measures, acknowledging that repeated safety incidents at a specific medical institution warrant intervention. Lawmaker Lee pointed out that clinic-level institutions remain excluded from mandatory serious accident reporting, leaving a regulatory blind spot where high-volume clinics perform invasive procedures without public safety disclosures. Lee argued that because clinics are not only for simple treatments and many people visit them, death accidents can occur, and such cases should be mandatory to report regardless of facility size.

Lawmaker Lee noted that the Gangnam dental clinic experienced 22 ambulance dispatches transferring 13 patients over three years and cycled through 79 doctors over four years while patients remained unaware of prior fatalities. During the audit, the clinic’s representative director, Son Dong-guk, admitted to two deaths. Lee criticized the facility, stating that while hospital advertisements are abundant, patient safety information is missing. Meanwhile, the Seoul Dental Association’s ethics committee, led by Chairman Shim Dong-wook, voted on October 1 to summon the clinic’s representative director for a disciplinary review regarding patient safety management and conscious sedation practices.

Which medical institutions must report safety incidents

Which medical institutions are currently required to report serious patient safety incidents?

Under the Patient Safety Act, general hospitals with 100 or more beds and hospital-level institutions with 200 or more beds are legally required to submit mandatory reports to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

What were the primary causes of patient deaths identified in the parliamentary data?

Out of 48 total deaths recorded between January 2021 and May 2024, 30 fatalities (62.5 percent) stemmed from medication errors such as incorrect drugs or wrong dosages, alongside transfusion accidents, surgical errors, anesthesia complications, and physical violence.

What specific regulatory changes are government officials considering following the Gangnam clinic incidents?

Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eun-kyeong stated that the government is reviewing safety criteria enhancements for anesthesia administration, potential reporting obligations for clinic-level facilities, and improvements to implant registration systems.