Blood transfusions fell sharply due to medical turmoil, delaying care for critical patients

According to data, the protracted medical turmoil caused by the government’s unilateral policy of increasing the medical school enrollment quota has resulted in a decrease in blood transfusions, which are essential for surgery.

Moreover, about 40 percent of the decrease in transfusions occurred in the “Big Five” hospitals. The noticeable decline in the number of transfusions at top general hospitals is seen to have led to delays in the treatment of critically ill patients, a lawmaker pointed out.

According to data submitted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) to Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of blood transfusions at tertiary general hospitals nationwide from February to July last year totaled 137,654, a decrease of 13.9 percent from 159,854 in the same period of 2023.

Of the 22,209 reduced transfusions, 12,578 were recorded in the Seoul metro region. Of the 12,578 cases, 8,364, or 66.5 percent, were concentrated in the top general hospitals, known as the “Big Five” hospitals. The Big Five hospitals are Seoul National University Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Asan Medical Center.

The number of transfusions at general hospitals increased slightly as patients who could not receive care and treatment at tertiary general hospitals moved to general hospitals. However, the increase only accounted for 17.3 percent of the decrease in transfusions at tertiary general hospitals. From February to July last year, 137,198 blood transfusions were performed in general hospitals nationwide, 3,847 more than in the same period in 2023 (134,351).

The decrease in transfusions has led to a drop in patients receiving whole blood and blood component products.

From February to July 2024, the number of patients using whole blood and blood component products at tertiary hospitals nationwide decreased by 20,958 from a year earlier. In contrast, the number of patients at general hospitals using these products increased by 4,755.

As a result, 16,203 patients may not have been able to receive surgery and treatment from February to July last year.

A look at HIRA’s different data titled the “Top 20 Most Frequent Diseases Billed with Whole Blood and Blood Component Preparations " shows that most of the diseases requiring blood transfusions were severe, including myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloid-lymphoid leukemia, multiple myeloma, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

“The decrease in the number of blood transfusions, which are essential for surgery and treatment of critically ill patients, means that the likelihood of delays in surgery or treatment for these patients has increased,” the physician-turned-lawmaker said.

The prolonged medical crisis is causing increasing damage, including delays in surgery and treatment for critically ill patients, but the government is not even aware of the exact situation. It is urgent that the scale of the damage and measures be taken to prevent the public and patients from suffering, Rep. Kim added.