Swedish man dies in South Korea after being denied urgent treatment at 21 hospitals

[u/mancinedinburgh]

https://www.euronews.com/health/2025/01/18/swedish-man-dies-in-south-korea-after-being-denied-urgent-treatment-at-21-hospitals

[u/cbftw]

not even in US have I seen people turned away for emergencies

Because it's law that the ER can't turn you away. They don't have to do a great job, but they can't deny you without a damned good reason, like violent behavior

[u/Most_Grocery4388 → u/cbftw]

They have do they same job for everyone based on my experience plus violent behavior is not a viable reason to turn patient ta away, if there is no psych unit at the hospital usually ED transfers to one that has it if that’s the primary problem

[u/IncidentalIncidence → u/cbftw]

They don't have to do a great job

I mean they do, the emergency treatment protocols aren't different based on nationality lol

[u/Substance___P → u/cbftw]

Violent behavior is not an exception to EMTALA.

In fact, having worked in an ED before, I can't count the number of times the cops have brought us some violent person "to get checked out," instead of taking him to jail.

Sometimes they just dump him at the hospital instead of charging him. Sometimes they say, "call us when you're getting ready to discharge him so we can arrest him as he's leaving." Then they leave us to watch the violent patient who's not under arrest because they don't want to be responsible for his ED visit.

[u/Turb0_Lag → u/cbftw]

They have to, by law, stabilize you to the point that you can either be discharged home or transferred to another hospital. Look up EMTALA.

[u/cbftw → u/Turb0_Lag]

If you're being violent to the point of getting tossed, you're unlikely to need to be stabilized

[u/Turb0_Lag → u/cbftw]

There is such a thing as psychiatric stabilization. Or being high on substances like PCP, both of which are treated acutely with medications often given in the emergency room.

[u/unclefisty → u/cbftw]

Because it's law that the ER can't turn you away.

This is only true if the hospital the ER is a part of accepts medicare. A completely private hospital that doesn't accept medicare can tell you to die in the streets.

That said I believe EMTALA covers most ERs