Ⓒ JoongAng Ilbo / JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version2022.01.13 15:39
“Maintain the dignity and courtesy of the dead and respect the will of the bereaved family …”.
This is the principle specified on the first page of the “New Corona Dead Funeral Management Guidelines” issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It is important to block the spread of the infection, but dignified death and family rights should also be respected. The government set this guideline in February 2020, the early days of the corona epidemic, but revised it in February of the following year. However, even following two years have passed, the guidelines and the site are still inconsistent. We inspected why the principle of “dignified death” was not applied in the field, step by step from pre-death to post-death.
◆ Before the end of life “Patients can be visited in the hospital room by wearing personal protective equipment”
Visits to new corona patients are rarely done because of concerns regarding infection. This is also the reason why the guideline clearly states “when the patient’s death is approaching.” If the patient determines that he or she is nearing death, the medical institution will immediately inform the family. In addition, family members must wear personal protective equipment if they so desire to be able to visit in the hospital room.
However, the bereaved families whom the interviewers met might hardly see the deceased. Concerns regarding infection are the biggest reason. Professor Ho Yun-jung of the Ashu Adult Humanities and Social Medicine Department said, “There are few chances to meet the deceased before his death because it is dangerous.” Some medical institutions have prepared internal rules apart from government guidelines such as “only one family member can visit through the CCTV screen” and “corona patients cannot visit”. One hospital official said, “It is difficult for multiple families to enter the hospital at the same time because even 1% of the concerns regarding infection still remain even if they wear protective equipment.” It will be a problem. “
The shortage of medical staff and the heavy work burden are also reasons why the guidelines are not applied in the field. The patient’s condition such as blood pressure and oxygen concentration should be confirmed and the family should be contacted. Park Sung-hoon, a professor of respiratory medicine at Daiseishin Hospital, said, “Even if you use a lot of pressor agent, your blood pressure will drop, and even if you maximize the ventilator, the oxygen concentration will drop. If so, ask your family to contact you. ” When a family member comes to the hospital, they must explain how to wear protective equipment and guide them to the front of a glass window where they can see the patient. In this process, nurses are mainly in charge of many tasks. “It’s not easy for busy healthcare professionals,” Park said.
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