Mr. Kim, who is about 50 years old this year, lost function to one of the kidneys about 25 years ago due to vascular stenosis. And in 2014, he was diagnosed with kidney failure at St. Paul’s Catholic University Hospital. Mary and began peritoneal dialysis the following year.
To make matters worse, Kim was diagnosed with early kidney cancer in 2019 and removed the rest of her kidney from her body.
Due to this condition, Mr. Kim has completely lost his kidney function and cannot urinate. Therefore, Mr. Kim’s body swells in the afternoon because he cannot release his body by-products, such as urine. Mr. Kim spends eight hours at home every night on peritoneal dialysis to remove moisture and toxins from his body.
However, Mr. Kim had hopes and expected to receive a kidney transplant someday to live a normal life like everyone else.
This is due to the fact that he submitted documents to the hospital for a kidney transplant while receiving the dialysis procedure in 2015. For Mr Kim, who lives alone without a family, a kidney transplant is urgent.
The average waiting time for a kidney transplant is about 5-6 years. Mr Kim said that when asked how long he had to wait for the transplant, medical staff would ask him how many years he had been waiting and, from the 3rd or 4th year of dialysis, he said he would soon receive a kidney donation.
However, in August last year, Mr Kim, who thought he could get a transplant soon, received shocking news – He was not registered as a kidney transplant candidate.
Mr Kim said: “When I was hospitalized six years ago, the hospital said it was necessary to register as a transplant patient, so I filled it out and delivered the appropriate documentation. but when I checked in at the hospital recently, I wasn’t registered.“
This was due to a mistake made by the hospital. A hospital official explained: “The Organ Transplant Center is responsible for registering organ transplant candidates, but it appears that Mr Kim was not mistakenly registered in 2015.. “
The official said: “The medical staff, who confirmed the patient’s intention to register for a transplant, should have sent the information to the organ transplant center, but they did not. We apologise. “
Mr Kim, who found out late that he had not been registered, registered as a transplant candidate last year. However, according to the Statistical Yearbook of Organ Transplantation and Human Tissue Donation (2019), 25,465 patients are awaiting a kidney transplant such as Mr.Kim, and the average waiting time for transplants is 2,196 days. therefore, Mr Kim has to wait another 5-6 years.
Mr Kim asked Seoul’s St Mary’s Hospital and the National Institute for Long-Term Tissue Blood Management, which oversees organ transplants, to adjust their waiting time, but was refused because they said it was impossible.
He also filed a complaint with the hospital because he has to wait many more years for a kidney transplant due to a hospital mistake. However, the hospital shows no signs of being willing to correct its mistake.
In addition, the Arbitration Service for Mediating Medical Disputes says there is no way to help with this issue because it is not a medical accident.
Seoul Catholic University Hospital Mary offered 20 million KRW (~ 18,063.60 USD) in compensation for Mr Kim, who now has to wait many years for a kidney transplant.
Mr Kim said: “I just want affiliated agencies to come forward, acknowledge the mistake the hospital has made, and correct them.. “