Operating room of Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Suwon Hospital in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, where CCTV is installed in the operating room (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] A revision to the Medical Service Act mandating the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in operating rooms passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 31st.
On this day, the National Assembly held a plenary session and approved the 'Partial Amendment to the Medical Service Act' with 135 votes in favor, 24 against, and 24 abstentions out of 183 members present.
According to the amendment, medical institutions performing surgeries under general anesthesia or other conditions where the patient is unconscious must mandatorily install CCTV. If requested by the patient, filming without audio recording is required, and audio recording is allowed only if both the patient and medical staff consent.
The recorded footage must be stored for at least 30 days, and access is permitted only upon request by public institutions related to investigations or trials, or with the consent of both the patient and medical personnel.
However, considering opposition from the medical community, an exception clause was established allowing refusal of filming during emergency surgeries or surgeries with high risk.
The government will support the costs of installing CCTV. Medical institutions may charge fees to those requesting access to the footage.
The amendment is scheduled to be enforced in 2023 after a two-year grace period following the law's promulgation.
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