Korean woman gives birth in ambulance after rejection from 40 hospitals, days before Vietnamese woman faces similar ordeal

The woman, in her early 20s and 34 weeks pregnant, gave birth inside the ambulance more than a week ago, South Korean fire officials announced Tuesday, as reported by The Korea Times.

According to the Korean Emergency Firefighters Union, the woman went into labor and called 119, South Korea's emergency response number, at 0:42 a.m. on March 10.

After assessing her condition, paramedics spent an hour contacting 40 hospitals across Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Chungnam, but all declined admission, most citing the reason of unavailable staff.

At 1:48 a.m., Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang District confirmed they could admit her. But by then, her water had broken, and she was experiencing severe labor pains.

Paramedics performed an emergency delivery inside the moving ambulance, and the woman gave birth to a baby boy at 2:11 a.m., approximately 90 minutes after her initial emergency call.

Both the mother and newborn were transported to Seoul Medical Center at 2:36 a.m. for further medical care. They were reported to be in stable condition, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The Korean woman's case was revealed soon after reports about a Vietnamese pregnant woman being turned away by 13 hospitals due to a shortage of doctors and hospital beds on March 16, forcing her to give birth in an ambulance.

Hospital rejections for emergency patients have been on the rise in South Korea amid a severe shortage of healthcare workers, exacerbated by ongoing mass doctor strikes protesting the government's plan to expand medical school admissions.