Professor Im Sewon’s Death Passed 1 Year, but Excessive Violence and Verbal Abuse in Hospitals Persist

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] After a psychiatry professor at a general hospital in Seoul was attacked and killed by a patient during treatment, a law strengthening related punishments was enacted, but it appears that there has been little noticeable change in medical settings.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 9th, the number of cases involving verbal abuse, assault, and disturbances against emergency medical workers has increased from 578 in 2016 to 893 in 2017, and 1,102 in 2018. In the first half of last year alone, there were 577 cases, nearly doubling over the past three years.

In response to ongoing concerns from the medical community and the death of Professor Im Se-won of the Department of Psychiatry at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital on the last day of December 2018, the so-called "Im Se-won Act (Amendment to the Medical Service Act)" was legislated in April last year to strengthen penalties for assaulting medical personnel. This law stipulates that if a medical professional is assaulted at a place where medical services are provided and sustains injury, the perpetrator may face up to seven years in prison; if the assault results in death, life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison applies. From this year, the deployment of security personnel and installation of related equipment have also been made mandatory. However, violence in medical settings remains prevalent.

In December last year, at a university hospital in Cheonan, family members of a patient assaulted a doctor by throwing a monitor during treatment. Other patients and nursing assistants who tried to intervene were also assaulted. In October of the same year, at a university hospital in Nowon-gu, Seoul, medical staff were injured by a weapon wielded by a patient. This patient, after undergoing surgery at the hospital, refused rehabilitation treatment and demanded a disability diagnosis. After losing a lawsuit for damages, the patient attacked the doctor with a weapon.

According to a survey conducted by the Korean Medical Association in November last year targeting 2,034 members, seven out of ten doctors reported having experienced verbal abuse or assault from patients or their guardians. Over the past three years, 1,455 doctors (71.5%) reported experiencing verbal or physical violence from patients or guardians in their clinics. The most common reason cited for such violence was dissatisfaction with medical results (37.4%), followed by complaints related to the issuance of documents such as medical certificates or opinions (16%), and dissatisfaction with waiting times (11.2%).

Professor Baek Jong-woo of Kyung Hee University Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, a university friend of the late Professor Im, said, "Even in advanced countries, violence and accidents have been frequent since the 1980s and 1990s. In the UK, after the zero-tolerance policy on violence against medical personnel was announced in 1999, reports increased sharply. In fact, there are likely many unreported incidents in Korea as well."

According to the Medical Association’s survey, 61% of members responded that patients or guardians who had previously committed verbal or physical violence had returned for treatment after some time. Lee Mo (37), a third-year private practitioner, said, "I believe doctors should also be guaranteed the right to refuse treatment to patients who have committed violent acts."

As the safety of medical staff is threatened, some medical institutions have taken self-help measures. In addition to legally mandated emergency bell installations and security personnel deployment, they provide personal self-defense tools such as action cameras, shield frames shaped like picture frames, and self-defense sprays. However, there are differences in the enthusiasm to implement preventive measures depending on each institution’s budget and awareness of the issue, leading to calls for more fundamental countermeasures.