외상외과 의사 이국종 교수가 대한민국 중증외상 의료 현실에 대한 냉정한 보고서이자, 시스템이 기능하지 않는 현실 속에서도 생명을 지키려 애써온 사람들의 분투를 날 것 그대로 담아낸 『골든아워』 제1권. 2002년 지도교수의 권유로 외상외과에 발을 내딛으며 인생의 전환점을 맞이한 저자는 대한민국에 국제 표준의 중증외상 시스템을 정착하기 위해 지난한 싸움을 했고, 17년간 외상외과 의사로서 맞닥뜨린 냉혹한 현실, 고뇌와 사색, 의료 시스템에 대한 문제의식 등을 기록해왔다.
Report/memoir of the doctor who have been struggling at the frontier of 'Trauma' medicine.
His lonesome, endless and hopeless struggle to set up a real Trauma center in Korea really touched me. It's unbelievable and appealing to witness how hard to change people's mind and the existing system. Also it is very sad to learn how strictly the business of human life is run under the rule of business-making profit. It seems 'Trauma medical service -urgent care for severe physical injury' should be under the basic care guaranteed whoever needs it. But apparently, it is a bad business.
I am starting to see how many of great leaders and pioneers are still full of anxiety and insecurities on their ability to take on daunting tasks. What they show is real courage-doing something right and necessary in-spite of fear and uncertainly. I believe Dr. Lee is one of them.
On the preface of the book, Dr. Lee puts disclaimer on how ill-equipped he is writing the book and he also mentioned he had the novelist, Kim Hoon's writing style on his mind while trying to write this book. I agree with Kim Hoon's advice to Dr. Lee, that the value of this book is something very different from novels or other books with good prose and style. I think the book has the value recording the ceaseless struggle of a few trying to continue Trauma center and saving people, and by revealing huge problems in current medical and government policy making steps. I think Kim Hoon's writing style (however translated into this work) was a good choice as well. I think, the writer, Kim had a great sense of seeing body as a physical, limited being (with vivid description of bodily odor). What other match would be there to describe bodily gore the trauma surgeon faces everyday in his work.
별 4.5. 가슴 물킁한 이야기. 이국종 교수님와 그 팀이 겪은 고난, 고통, 좌절, 그 분이 중증외상 시스템의 위해 기여한 고생을 담은 책. 그 분의 시각으로만 이야기가 써져있지만서도 의료기관, 정부 부처 정치판의 더럽움과 사람들의 간사함을 보여준다. 그 속에서도 좋은 사람들로 인해 버틸 수 있었고 따듯함과 감동을 선사한다.