Korean Job Discussion Forums

Paddycakes · Joined: 05 May 2003 Location: Seoul

Does anyone here know a Korean ambulance para-medic?

I'm curious to know if their training and standards are comparable to those in North America...

It might be good to know in case you ever need to phone the ambulance...

Tommy · Joined: 24 Aug 2005

I've always wondered the same thing myself. But after hearing Stephanie's podcast interview, and her description of their performance with her son, I now have little trust in them. I know that is just one instance, but one is enough. Being a former first responder trained to use AED, it was soooo frustrating to listen to her account on how they handled the situation. I believe she's also trained as a first responder, so I can't imagine her anger after getting over the initial shock. Sad

Jeweltone · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Location: Seoul, S. Korea

Useless. I passed out in the subway after sudden excessive vomiting. When I came to, the paramedics had been called. They gave me a plastic bag to throw up in. No one checked my vitals or anything.

It was a bumpy ride to the hospital; I was forced to lay down, but they did not strap me down and I nearly rolled off the stretcher several times.

I had an allergic reaction, as it turned out, but the hospital did not make that determination. I broke out in hives all over my body. The IVs made it worse (I am also allergic to some antihistimines).

Take a taxi, if you can, rather than call the paramedics.

CeleryMan · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Location: Seoul

Two words: "Michael White." And that other poor sucker who died at Incheon Airport.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

maeil · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: Haebangchon

Last weekend I was at a beach at the east coast and a boy (18 years old or so) drowned. He wasn't breathing when he was brought to the beach. The ambulance responded with breakneck speed and brought the kid back to life with what looked like very competent CPR. He was whisked away to the hospital immediately afterwards.

WoBW · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: HBC

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

santafly · Joined: 20 Feb 2008

I am an EMT

I saw a girl get hit by a car at this years cherry blossom festival in Yeouido - I wanted to help but there was a crowd of about a 100 people/worried about my own safety

Anyway, here's what I saw. The ambulance arrived and took an inordinant amount of time to park. The drivers/whatevers slowly got out. They looked at the girl - she was sort of face down in a twisted positon with a woman crying at her side and a guy from the crowd with his hand on her shoulder, small pool of blood (distrurbingly neon pink) under her head, breathing seemed ok. They sauntered back to the ambulance to grab a back board. They moved her on to the board, stuck her in the ambulance, and drove off. They did not: check any vitals, look for injuries, apply pressure to her bleeding head wound, the most distrubing part was - they didn't keep her neck and spine safe when they rolled her over/ put her on the back board. They did tape her head to the board but not properly. In short, they were completely incompetent. Let me remind you, this was in Yeouido.

I don't think getting hurt here would be a very good idea.

Unposter · Joined: 04 Jun 2006

I have never seen paramedics in action but I have seen plenty of ambulances, siren's blaring, in stand still traffic with no one moving out of there way. It scares me a lot!

Whatever you do don't get hurt during rush hour!

Paddycakes · Joined: 05 May 2003 Location: Seoul

Thwartley · Joined: 19 Feb 2008

kingplaya4 · Joined: 14 May 2006

I'll be heading home fairly soon so I was looking to buy one of those packing tape dispensers so I could nicely close up my boxes. I asked at emart and then seemed to understand my Korean, called on the phone and asked around, and eventually directed me to buy some scissors. I mentioned the situation to the Korean teachers at school and they said such an item doesn't exist in Korea and why didn't I just use a cutter.

Sometimes Koreans seem to prefer doing things the hard way. (I even saw some emart employees with packing tape and a "cutter" shortly after this experience. This is just one of many small things that I have noticed here where common sense doesn't seem to prevail. Why don't the students carry scissors instead of "cutters"?

It seems many Koreans are satisfied with doing things the old way, and some western ways just seem to be silly luxuries. I admit I'm making a bit of a leap hear, but I have a feeling this extends to emergency services. Cribs and carseats are much rarer here so I don't think my leap is too extreme. I sincerely believe that we as a group are statistically reducing our life expectancy by staying here. Of course we can't just live on that basis or we'd have to consider that 1000 calorie a day diet to live longer, but I think you get my point.