Kyungsillyeon Files Police Complaint Against Standing Appraisers of Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Committee... "Evidence of Concealment of Medical Malpractice"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) announced on the 18th that it has reported three former standing appraisal committee members of the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency to the police on charges of obstruction of business.

At a press conference held at the CCEJ auditorium in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the CCEJ claimed, "They omitted minority opinions in the final appraisal report and included facts contrary to the appraisal committee meeting results, thereby obstructing the fair operation of the Mediation Agency."

The Mediation Agency is a public institution under the Ministry of Health and Welfare that determines medical negligence and resolves disputes when medical accidents occur.

The CCEJ alleged that some appraisal reports were improperly prepared. According to the CCEJ, some appraisal committee members pointed out in a case involving a patient who underwent spinal fixation surgery and suffered brain damage that "preoperative consultation and risk assessment were not conducted," but the final appraisal report stated, "It appears that consultation was conducted and preoperative risk assessment was performed." In another case involving a patient treated for cholangitis who was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis after discharge, although some appraisal committee members indicated medical negligence, the final appraisal report excluded these mentions.

The CCEJ explained, "In the past five years, minority opinions were recorded in only 32 cases (0.4%) out of 7,968 appraisal reports prepared," adding, "There is reasonable suspicion that the omission of minority opinions obstructed the mediation work."