On the 25th, the medical community expressed their welcome for the passage of the amendment to the "Act on Relief of Medical Accidents and Adjustment of Medical Disputes" (Medical Dispute Adjustment Act) in the National Assembly plenary session, which mandates the state to fully compensate for unavoidable delivery-related medical accidents.
Exterior view of the Korean Medical Association building in Ichon-dong. [Photo by Korean Medical Association]
The Korean Medical Association issued a statement on the day, saying, "We actively welcome the establishment of a foundation to revive essential medical care." The amendment focuses on having the government bear 100% of the compensation funds for victims of unavoidable delivery-related medical accidents, thereby alleviating the burden on delivery medical institutions.
The KMA emphasized, "The recently passed amendment to the Medical Dispute Adjustment Act aligns with the original purpose of the Act and is expected to serve as a turning point to prevent the collapse of obstetrics and gynecology infrastructure and the decline in the number of obstetrics and gynecology specialists."
They added, "It is not only reasonable in terms of strengthening the government's responsibility to compensate the public for damages but also actively welcomed as it establishes a foundation to revive essential medical care. We express our gratitude to the National Assembly and the government for their efforts to pass the bill in the plenary session."
Furthermore, the KMA conveyed their hope that starting with this amendment, the government and the National Assembly will foster and support essential medical care, along with enacting the "Special Act on Medical Accident Handling," which exempts or reduces criminal punishment in cases of unintentional medical accidents.
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