"Medical Evil Law That Turned Doctors into Monsters Must Be Revised" 청청원 Surpasses 200,000 Signatures

Medical Community's Collective Strike Sparks Consecutive 청원 to Blue House
"Reason Doctors Can Refuse Treatment? Due to the 2000 Amended Medical Malpractice Law"

Amid the indefinite strike by residents opposing the government's health care policy, residents and fellows are holding a picket protest on the 2nd at Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] As the medical community's collective strike prolongs, petitions demanding the abolition of doctors' privileges and punishment for doctors participating in the strike continue to emerge.

On the 30th of last month, a post titled "Petition to Amend the 2000 Medical Malpractice Law That Created the Monster of the Medical Community" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition Board. This petition received over 200,000 signatures by the 2nd, prompting an official response from the Blue House.

The petitioner stated, "Even at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis when citizens are dying, doctors can refuse treatment because of the medical malpractice law amended in 2000," and added, "Under the medical malpractice law amended at that time, medical professionals retain their licenses even if they commit murder, robbery, or sexual assault."

He pointed out, "The current medical community can maintain their licenses regardless of any crimes outside the Medical Service Act, making the public authority of a 3-year imprisonment or a 30 million won fine completely ineffective, turning them into an omnipotent monster."

On the 30th of last month, a petition titled "We request the revision of the 2000 medical malpractice law that turned the medical community into monsters" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture.

This law was primarily proposed by Kim Chan-woo, a doctor and then chairman of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Grand National Party (now People Power Party). It allows license revocation only in cases of violations related to medical laws. Before the amendment, if a doctor was sentenced to imprisonment or higher for professional negligence causing injury or death, their medical license was suspended.

The petitioner said, "At that time, this medical malpractice law was proposed by 'doctors,' the chairman of the bill review subcommittee was a 'doctor,' and there were as many as five 'doctors' in the Health and Welfare Committee," adding, "Since then, a total of 19 bills have been proposed until November 2018 to amend this malpractice law, but none passed due to doctors' opposition."

Finally, he emphasized, "Please revise this medical malpractice law to the level of advanced countries to strengthen citizens' safety and national order."

Additionally, on the Blue House National Petition Board, posts demanding strict law enforcement without leniency for all acts of doctors violating laws, petitions to drastically reduce doctors' authority, and petitions to punish and revoke licenses of doctors participating in the strike continue to appear.

Meanwhile, the Korean Intern Resident Association and fellows have opposed the government's four medical policies ? ▲expansion of medical school quotas ▲establishment of public medical schools ▲promotion of non-face-to-face medical treatment ▲pilot project for herbal medicine coverage ? and have launched an indefinite strike since the 21st of last month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.