Disaster (3)
A car was entering Sewon Hospital.
“hey. “Look at that.”
Kim Hyun, sitting in the driver’s seat, nodded and pointed to the banner hanging at the hospital entrance.
On the banner is Chief Ki-Seok Choi, the world’s only triple board thoracic surgeon. There was a sign saying that thoracic surgery treatment had begun.
“Mr. Choi welcomes you from the entrance.”
“That’s right.”
Kim Hyun agreed with Yoo Tae-min and parked the car in the parking lot.
In fact, there was no reason for the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to go to Sewon Hospital to collect the specimen. The patient Choi Ki-seok mentioned did not meet the MERS sample collection standards set by the headquarters.
Nevertheless, the reason he visited the hospital was purely because of his reputation.
He was the only triple board cardiothoracic surgeon in the world, as written on the banner, and he lost his temper, but he had no ability to withstand it.
widely!
“If we are called out like this, isn’t it like we are going on a long journey across our country? “There are dozens of places asking for samples.”
Taemin Yoo nervously closed the car door.
“What power does the extremity have? If your superiors tell you to do it, you have to do it flat. “Oh, by the way, the director said, don’t look at Dr. Choi and just get the sample.”
“You come all the way here and leave without seeing that person?”
“If you look at his face, it’s clear that he’s going to be a mess. “There is a confirmed case of MERS, but they don’t even respond to requests for testing.”
“Still, I wanted to see it once. I saw that guy on Schritel. My lover was really pretty and true. “I wish I could date a woman like that…”
“Wake up from your dream. And why are you always in a pre-existing relationship?”
Kim Hyun scolded Yoo Tae-min and entered the hospital lobby.
Sewon Hospital located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do.
I heard that it was the only hospital specializing in thoracic surgery in Korea, but I thought it was just an average hospital.
A well-run hospital would have built a hospital in the city center if it had excellent staff and sufficient funds.
But what?
Contrary to expectations, the number of patients was as crowded as that of a university hospital.
The lobby was bustling with people, and people lined up in long lines like snakes in the thoracic surgery and cardiology clinics.
“what. “Why are you here?”
Yoo Taemin rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
“Is this the Sewon hospital I know?”
“why?”
“I think the patient jumped at least ten times. “I received treatment here before, and it wasn’t this crowded.”
“Is it really effective, Mr. Choi?”
The two people talked and visited the laboratory medicine department located on the second floor. As we entered the examination room, the staff member who was running the centrifuge looked at the two people.
“hello. I am an employee of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I came to retrieve the sample requested by Professor Ki-Seok Choi.”
“Um… Are you not going to see Manager Choi?”
“I have to stop by other places too, so I have to go right away.”
“all right. Please sit there and wait a moment.”
The staff member left the room and went into a small room, and the two sat on the sofa and chatted until the sample came out.
“hey. Didn’t they take your child’s sample? “Why are you taking so much time when you could just hand it over?”
“I don’t feel good…”
No sooner had Kim Hyun finished speaking than the sound of trudging footsteps was heard from far away in the hallway. The person responsible for the footsteps was wearing a gown and a mask.
He was an impressive man with eyes overflowing with confidence that showed through his mask.
“Damn it got caught. “Look at the nametag.”
After receiving Yoo Tae-min’s signal and checking the name tag of the approaching man, Kim Hyun couldn’t hide his bitter smile.
It was like that.
Choi Ki-seok came in person.
I now felt like I knew why the laboratory medicine staff member was away.
“Nice to meet you. “This is Ki-Seok Choi, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Sewon Hospital.”
“Ah yes. “This is Hyun Kim from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“This is Yoo Taemin.”
Choi Ki-seok shook hands and exchanged friendly greetings with the two people who stood up.
“The hospital was very crowded. “This is my first time seeing this many patients at a mid-level hospital.”
“what. Thanks to you, I am busy as ever. however.”
As Choi Ki-seok’s expression changed completely, Kim Hyun and Yoo Tae-min swallowed their dry saliva with nervous faces. I felt like a rat cornered by the charisma he radiated.
“I guess you were planning on just taking the specimen with you? “I heard he was going to leave right away without seeing me.”
“I’m a little busy…”
“I’m sure you’re not so busy that you can’t have a few words, right? Moreover, if we’re talking about MERS, don’t we have to carve out time that we don’t have?”
“Actually… that’s….”
“We were short-thinking. “I hope the manager will be lenient.”
Kim Hyun quickly apologized on behalf of the stumbling Yoo Tae-min.
When there was no excuse, it was best to apologize coolly.
“Honestly, I have no hard feelings toward either of you. It’s not the two of you who created the standards for evaluating MERS-infected patients. “Aren’t we just doing what we are told from above?”
“….”
“But no matter what anyone says, you two are at the forefront of judging infected patients. Since the safety of all citizens depends on this matter, I hope you will pay more attention in the future. “I think there is enough room for the two of you to take initiative.”
“yes. I’ll be careful in the future.”
The conversation between Choi Ki-seok and Kim Hyeon continued.
Ki-Seok Choi explained the symptoms of those who had come into contact with the patient who received the specimen, and Hyeon Kim actively listened, taking notes.
“The infected person’s condition is not good. “It seems difficult to consider it a simple cold.”
“yes. “First of all, we quarantined all direct contacts, so I don’t think there will be a big problem, but… we don’t know what’s going on in the world.”
After speaking, Ki-Seok Choi moved to the laboratory medicine department and handed over samples from those suspected of being infected.
“Please take it.”
“We will contact you as soon as the results are available.”
Taemin Yoo said as he put the sample into the box.
“If possible, can I know the hotline of your two superiors? “I have something I want to tell him too.”
“We might get criticized, but… I’ll let you know first.”
“thank you.”
The two said goodbye to Choi Ki-seok and returned to the car.
“He’s in his early thirties, but he’s as meticulous as an old man who has lived the rest of the world. “They thought we would jump.”
Taemin Yoo clicked his tongue as he remembered the past.
“At that age, you can’t get exaggerated based on ability alone. I don’t think the way I handle things is normal either. “I thought he would go on a rampage, but he’s surprisingly gentlemanly, isn’t he?”
“I agree with that. “I was glad that they somehow understood our situation.”
Taemin Yoo finished speaking and looked down at the box containing the specimen.
Currently, there is one official confirmed case of MERS.
What fate will the three patients sent by Choi Ki-seok face?
I was already very curious about the test results.
* * *
That evening.
Shim Jae-woo, who was in his office, became very feverish after receiving a phone call.
There are two main reasons for being angry.
One was that Ki-Seok Choi, a triple board cardiothoracic surgeon, knew about his hotline, and the other was because of what he said.
“What do you mean, change the guidelines? “It doesn’t look like he’s a triple board thoracic surgeon.”
bang!
He couldn’t hold back his anger and hit the table with his fist.
While I was drinking tea and trying to swallow my anger, I heard a knock on the door.
“Director. “This is Kim Hyun.”
“You’re Kim Hyun! “You gave Choi Ki-seok my phone number, right?”
Kim Hyeon bowed his head in response to Shim Jae-woo’s thunderous shout.
“sorry. Because I asked so persistently, I had no choice…”
“Do you know what that person said when he called? They told me to tear down and change the MERS prevention guidelines. “I told them to revise the definition of direct contact, including contact with camels, and to expand the area of countries suspected of having MERS.”
“….”
“If you are a thoracic surgeon, you will treat the heart. “Why are you so reckless about spreading infectious diseases?”
Shim Jae-woo, whose fever rose again, snorted vigorously.
In the midst of breathtaking tension, Kim Hyeon carefully opened his mouth.
“I would like to inform you of the results of the sample test obtained at Sewon Hospital.”
“That’s good. I still needed an excuse to take my anger out on that person. “It’s just a sound without anything to see, right?”
“no. “It’s benign.”
Shim Jae-woo’s face hardened at Kim Hyun’s answer.
“what? “Say it again.”
“It’s positive. “The patient suspected of being the first infected person, his wife who had direct contact with him, and the patient sharing the same hospital room are all positive.”
“So that means you have MERS.”
Shim Jae-woo frowned and placed one hand on his forehead.
The low voice that followed represented his feelings.
“…I’m ruined.”
* * *
Choi Ki-seok was watching TV in the general surgery ward.
Strictly speaking, we were waiting for a call from the Centers for Disease Control.
Because I was already convinced of the diagnosis with the eyes of Hippocrates, I was not excited or nervous about the wait.
However, what was scary was how the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would deal with Sewon Hospital after the confirmed results came out.
‘It’ll be okay, right?’
His eyes turned to the patient sitting around him.
At the direction of the general surgery director, all patients in the general surgery ward were currently wearing masks.
As the infected person was quickly quarantined, the risk of MERS spreading in the ward would have been greatly reduced.
But that’s the moment.
Jiyiing.
Choi Ki-seok checked the number of the cell phone ringing in his pocket and answered it immediately.
“yes. “This is Choi Ki-seok.”
[This is Shim Jae-woo, the director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whom you spoke to earlier.]
“It looks like the test results have come out.”
He moved to the deserted doctors’ lounge and prepared for a full-blown conversation.
[Well… all three people who sent samples were found to be confirmed cases of MERS. So, please follow my instructions from now on.]
While Shim Jae-woo continued his explanation, Choi Ki-seok did not say a single word.
I was speechless due to the ineffective response.
[Do you know now?]
“No. “I have no idea?”
Choi Ki-seok laughed cynically and continued.
“First of all, I cannot agree with the fact that we have to hide the fact that there was a confirmed case in our hospital. “Shouldn’t we prevent additional infections by disclosing the confirmed hospitals?”
[There is nothing good about being known. This means that the people’s fear is only increasing. And think about the profit of that hospital.]
Shim Jae-woo continued speaking like a bullet.
[I heard that the number of patients has increased significantly since Dr. Choi came. If it is revealed that a MERS-confirmed hospital has been confirmed, will patients really visit that hospital again? I don’t think so.]
“I think we should be worried about public safety, not our hospitals. “It’s already come to this, so let’s be a little more honest, shall we?”
[….]
“Director. Aren’t you asking the question because it seems like you will be criticized for negligent management? “Am I wrong?”
Choi Ki-seok’s voice rose.
[That’s Teacher Choi’s idea.]
“You probably want to make a fuss about it like that. Please note that the isolation method also has problems. What’s the point of mixing patients from the gastrointestinal surgery ward with those from the ophthalmology ward? “What we need to do now is close the ward.”
[There is no need to close it. They quarantined the infected person, but there was a problem.]
“If you look at overseas cases, there are cases where people were infected with MERS even if they were not in the same hospital room. “To prevent that risk, we have to close the ward.”
[Teacher Choi! This is an order.]
Shim Jae-woo continued in a scolding tone.
[Keep in mind that control over MERS primarily lies with our Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.]
“Yes, yes. Well sir. “I think you’ve said everything you wanted to say, so let’s end this.”
Ki-Seok Choi ended the call without even listening to everything Jae-Woo Shim said.
A power game played out with the safety of the people at stake.
I had no intention of backing down.
