'Operating Room CCTV Installation Act' Passed by Health and Welfare Committee Subcommittee

Photo by Getty Images Bank

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] A bill to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) in operating rooms has passed the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee's bill review subcommittee.

On the morning of the 23rd, the Welfare Committee held a bill subcommittee meeting and deliberated and approved the amendment to the Medical Service Act, which includes the mandatory installation of CCTV in operating rooms. The Welfare Committee plans to hold a plenary session in the afternoon to process the bill.

The amendment includes provisions to install and operate CCTV inside operating rooms that are not connected to external networks. Filming can be done without audio recording upon the patient's request.

Viewing is allowed only when requested by public institutions related to investigations or trials, or with mutual consent between the patient and medical personnel. The bill will be enforced after a two-year grace period following its promulgation.

However, an exception clause allows medical staff to refuse filming for justifiable reasons, considering opposition from the medical community. Exceptions include cases where surgery delay could endanger the patient's life, emergency surgeries, high-risk surgeries to save the patient's life, or situations that could significantly hinder the training of residents.

The cost of viewing the CCTV footage is to be borne by the requester, and the bill also establishes grounds for the government to support the installation costs of CCTV.

The bill to install CCTV in operating rooms was proposed to prevent sexual crimes, unauthorized surgeries, and other fraudulent medical practices.

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