The Korea Herald

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Busan firefighters praised for saving premature baby

By Lim Jae-seong

Published : March 5, 2024 - 15:42

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A rescuer encourages the baby Friday to keep her conscious in Gijang-gun, Busan. (Busan Metropolitan City Fire & Disaster Headquarters) A rescuer encourages the baby Friday to keep her conscious in Gijang-gun, Busan. (Busan Metropolitan City Fire & Disaster Headquarters)

A rescue team is receiving praise after footage of them saving a premature baby went viral.

The Gijang Fire Station in Gijang-gun, Busan, heralded five members of the Jeonggwan 119 Safety Center for successfully rescuing a premature baby on Friday.

In the footage, the rescuers can be seen calling the baby, "Bboong-bboong," the nickname her parents gave her before birth, and gently encouraging her to keep her eyes open as they try to keep her conscious on the way to the hospital.

The baby girl, born during the 29th week of pregnancy, was en route to the Busan National University Hospital in the neighboring city of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, as the hospital where she was born had no equipment to treat a premature baby.

The baby scored an Apgar score of four. Apgar is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. Healthy babies score between eight and 10 out of 10. Receiving a score of four calls for urgent treatment, according to the fire authority.

The baby successfully reached the intensive care unit for newborn babies at BNUH. She is receiving treatment and is in good condition, according to local media.