"Installation of Operating Room CCTV, 93% of Doctors Oppose... Grace Period Should Be Granted"

Korean Medical Association Emergency Press Conference
55.7% Also Intend to Close Operating Rooms
"Installation and Operation Standards Are Ambiguous... Confusion in Medical Field"

It was found that 93.2% of active physicians oppose the amendment to the Medical Service Act mandating the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in operating rooms. The Korean Medical Association (KMA) has demanded a sufficient grace period for CCTV operation and expanded support for operating costs.

On the afternoon of the 25th, officials from the Korean Medical Association are holding a press conference at the Korean Medical Association Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, regarding the mandatory installation of CCTV in operating rooms. From left to right: Im Ji-yeon, Medical Policy Research Institute of the KMA; Lee Pil-soo, President; Lee Jung-geun, Executive Vice President; Lee Sung-pil, Medical Director. Photo by Korean Medical Association

On the afternoon of the 25th, the KMA held an urgent press conference at the KMA auditorium in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to announce the results of a member survey regarding the mandatory installation of operating room CCTV. The survey was conducted online over ten days from the 8th to the 18th, targeting all KMA members. A total of 1,267 KMA members participated. Previously, in July 2021, the KMA conducted a similar survey ahead of the re-deliberation of the Medical Service Act amendment bill in the legislative subcommittee.

The opposition to the mandatory CCTV law increased by 3.2 percentage points compared to the 2021 survey, reaching 93.2%. At that time, 90% of members opposed the mandatory installation law. Reasons for opposing the mandate included ▲human rights violations such as labor surveillance of medical staff (51.9%, including multiple responses) ▲perception of medical personnel as potential criminals (49.2%) ▲restrictions on medical practice and passive treatment (44.5%) ▲possibility of unnecessary lawsuits and medical disputes (42.4%), among others.

The KMA argued that the mandatory installation of CCTV could lead to the closure of operating rooms, especially in small and medium-sized hospitals. These hospitals face greater operational burdens as they find it difficult to bear the costs of installing and maintaining CCTV compared to tertiary hospitals. When asked if they would consider closing the operating room if CCTV installation became mandatory, 55.7% of members responded affirmatively.

The ambiguity of CCTV installation and operation standards was also cited as a problem. Although the mandate takes effect immediately, unclear standards are causing confusion in medical settings. While the Ministry of Health and Welfare has issued guidelines for CCTV installation and operation, the KMA claims that standards often become unclear when passed down to local governments and public health centers. When asked about concerns regarding the mandatory installation of operating room CCTV, physicians cited ▲medical law violations due to ambiguous installation and operation standards (75.5%, including multiple responses) ▲medical law violations due to unclear safety management measures (62.0%).

As an alternative to mandatory CCTV installation, strengthening penalties for proxy surgeries was suggested by 64.0% of respondents. The public debate and proposal of the mandatory CCTV installation law were triggered by the detection of proxy surgeries in some hospitals. Other responses included ▲installing CCTV at the entrance of operating rooms (39.8%) ▲mandatory consent forms to prevent proxy surgeries (39.2%).

The KMA emphasized the need for a sufficient grace period due to delays in follow-up measures related to the CCTV mandate. The association stated, "Strict penalties should be avoided during the initial implementation phase of the CCTV installation mandate to prevent confusion," and urged the government to provide ample guidance time.

Additionally, the KMA called for the government to subsidize not only installation costs but also maintenance expenses. Although authorities partially support installation costs under provisions allowing government and local governments to assist hospitals, tertiary hospitals and above are excluded from support. Moreover, there is no support for maintenance costs. A KMA official said, "We hope the government and the National Assembly will promptly reflect and execute budgets for maintenance costs, which are expected to be substantial, just like installation costs."

KMA President Il-su Lee questioned, "In the past, physicians in essential medical fields performed low-difficulty surgeries despite risks, but who would sincerely perform them if CCTV is installed?" He warned, "The damage will ultimately fall on the public and patients."

Meanwhile, the amended Medical Service Act took effect from today. With the addition of provisions regarding CCTV installation and operation, all hospitals must record surgical scenes if the patient is unconscious during surgery or if the patient or guardian requests it. 'Unconscious state' refers to when the patient undergoes general or sedation anesthesia and cannot perceive or remember the situation or express themselves during surgery.

Recorded footage can be provided only in cases such as ▲requests from investigative agencies or courts ▲consent from all surgical parties including patients and medical staff ▲requests from the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency for mediation or arbitration of medical disputes. However, to protect medical staff’s right to defense, medical personnel may refuse recording in cases of emergency surgery, high-risk surgery, or when recording is deemed to interfere with resident training.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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