One of the best hospitals in South Korea, Samsung Medical Center has stopped receiving patients since last week.
Advertisement
Two USA military families in Seoul were released from quarantine Wednesday after testing negative for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a virus that has killed 27 South Koreans over the past month. He recently inherited from his father Lee Kun-hee the chairmanship at the Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation, operator of Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, which has been the single biggest epicenter for MERS infections.
There are now 175 confirmed cases in what is the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia.
“Our Samsung Medical Center has caused too big a pain and worry for the people by failing to prevent the infection and spread of MERS,” the Samsung executive, Lee Jae-Yong, said Tuesday. “I bow my head to apologize”.
The vice chairman vowed to carry out a broad range of reform for the group’s hospitals after the MERS crisis ends, making apology for the group’s failure to meet expectations and trust of the general public. A number of hospitals, including Samsung, which is frequently used by USFK personnel, have suspended services to control spread of the disease. The hospital must pay heed to the public outcry calling for reinforcement of its public health role beyond the seeking of profits.
In an editorial last week, South Korea’s largest daily newspaper Chosun Ilbo called for an investigation on a possible tie between authorities and Samsung Medical Center, asking why health authorities didn’t step in early to oversee the hospital’s response to the disease.
Its health ministry said the outbreak appears to have levelled off, with new infections reported in recent days in the low single digits, including three on Tuesday. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics.
It was the Samsung heir’s first press conference since he effectively took over the conglomerate from his father, who has been in a coma since a heart attack in May past year. A week later, another MERS patient spent about three days in the hospital’s crowded emergency ward after being misdiagnosed with pneumonia, coming into contact with hundreds of patients and staff members.
Advertisement
