"Legal Protection for Medical Personnel and Paramedics Essential to Resolve Emergency Room Admission Issues"

Korean Medical Association and National Fire Agency Hold Discussion Meeting to Improve Emergency Medical System

The Korean Medical Association and the National Fire Agency have agreed that in order to fundamentally resolve the issue of emergency rooms being unable to admit patients, it is essential to address the legal risks faced by emergency medical personnel.

Members of the Korean Medical Association held a meeting on the 1st at the Sejong City Fire Station with the Fire Department to discuss improvements to the emergency medical system. After reaching a consensus that the legal burdens on medical personnel and paramedics must be alleviated first, they took a commemorative photo. Korean Medical Association

The Korean Medical Association announced on December 2 that it had held a meeting with the National Fire Agency the previous day at the Fire Agency building in Sejong City to discuss improvements to the emergency medical system, and that both sides reached a consensus on the need to first alleviate the legal burdens on medical personnel and paramedics.

This meeting was convened to diagnose the root causes of the growing social issue of emergency rooms being unable to accept patients, and to develop practical measures to protect frontline medical personnel and paramedics.

The Korean Medical Association identified the main causes of the current collapse of emergency medical services as the avoidance of essential medical care due to legal risks, a lack of supporting medical infrastructure, and the absence of a control tower. The association maintains that as long as the current situation persists, where medical personnel can be held criminally liable solely due to poor outcomes inherent to emergency care, it will be difficult to resolve the issue.

According to the Korean Medical Association, the National Fire Agency also agreed with its position and emphasized the need to establish a legal safety net, such as immunity from liability for medical accidents, for emergency medical personnel.

Additionally, the Korean Medical Association and the National Fire Agency discussed the establishment of a governance structure that would allow for continued discussions on improving the emergency medical system, involving the medical society, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and other stakeholders, in order to jointly respond to legal reforms and various current issues.