Doctor Being Investigated For Performing Abortion On Wrong Woman Mistakenly

In a classic case of mistaken identity, a doctor in South Korea accidentally performed an abortion on the wrong woman. An investigation has been launched into the case by the Seoul Gangseo police on Monday.

A medical chart mix-up and failure to check the identity of the patient led to a pregnant woman with a 6-week old fetus undergoing an abortion.

The victim, a Vietnamese woman, had gone to a clinic in the Gangseo district on Aug.7 for a nutritional shot. She was prescribed a nutritional supplement in the initial stages of her pregnancy, Yonhap reported.

But the nurse, without confirming her identity, injected her with anesthesia.

The doctor then performed the abortion on the patient who was unaware of what was going on. The doctor too did not verify the identity of the patient.

She came back the next day after experiencing blood discharge.

Both the doctor and the nurse are currently being investigated. According to police officials, they have acknowledged their fault, CNN reported.

South Korea has moved to legalize abortion by Dec. 31, 2020. However, under the existing laws, the practice remains illegal unless the fetus is threatening the mother or if the parents have a hereditary disease or if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest.

Abortion is punishable up to one-year imprisonment in South Korea.