**Patients Rejected by Dozens of ERs: South Korea's Fatal Hospital Hunt**

Hundreds of patients in South Korea are turned away from emergency rooms each year, a new report reveals. This happens despite the country's globally recognized, high-quality medical system. The problem is "call avoidance." Hospitals often refuse emergency patients, directing them elsewhere. Some people have been rejected by over 40 different emergency departments. For many, the repeated delays are dangerous. For others, they have been fatal. Several deaths have been directly linked to the long search for a hospital that would provide treatment. Experts say the practice happens because emergency care is often unprofitable for hospitals. The system is now under intense government scrutiny, with promises of major reform to end the deadly searches.