Doctor fined over patient's death after acupuncture session

A doctor in Korea was fined 20 million won (almost P1 million) over his patient's death from a heart muscle tear while undergoing acupuncture for back pain.

According to a report by The Korea Herald, the Daejeon District Court confirmed the development in connection with the case of the 92-year-old patient.

The doctor allegedly caused the tear on the patient's chest during an acupuncture session at around 2:35 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2022. The patient was pronounced dead three hours later.

Per prosecutors, the doctor failed to check the patient's pulse or inform him about the risks of performing acupuncture on the chest. He also supposedly left the patient unattended for 15 minutes after the patient complained of chest pain and had difficulty breathing until he became unconscious.

The Korean media outlet also reported that the court "took into account the doctor’s admission of wrongdoing and remorse, as well as his settlement with the patient’s family."