(2nd LD) Hospital removes life support from comatose patient

(ATTN: ADDS family quotes in paras 5-6)
SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul hospital on Tuesday removed life-support for a
77-year-old woman who has been in a comatose state since February last year,
complying with the country's highest court that ruled in favor of the patient's
right to "die with dignity."
Professor Park Moo-seok of Yonsei Severance Hospital withdrew the feeding tube
from the patient, known only by her last name Kim, who lapsed into a coma after
suffering post-surgery cerebral damage, officials at the hospital said.
The patient was moved from the hospital's intensive care unit to a general ward
and her artificial ventilator was turned off at 10:24 a.m. with family members
watching, according to the officials.
She will be declared officially dead once the breathing stops. Hospital
officials could not say how long she would be able to breathe on her own.
"What began as a private issue has become a public one," Kim's son-in-law told
reporters. "Our society needs to think again about giving meaningless medical
treatment to prolong life."
"Our intent from the beginning was not to have her die," he said. "We wanted her
to get the treatment without the respirator."
After a year of court battles between the patient's family and the hospital, the
Supreme Court in May recognized the patient's right to die with dignity and
ordered the hospital to turn off the respirator.
In the landmark case, the court for the first time approved of what professionals
refer to as "passive euthanasia," saying that continued treatment violates the
dignity of the patient who has virtually no hope of recovery.
Meanwhile, the family filed a separate malpractice suit against the hospital in
March this year, arguing that the hospital is responsible for her falling into a
comatose state. She was put on life support after undergoing lung surgery.
An autopsy is scheduled to be performed after she is declared dead.
brk@yna.co.kr
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