"Emergency Room Consultation Fee, Extension of Severe and Emergency Surgery Surcharge Under Review" (Breaking News)

Emergency Medical Daily Briefing
Regular Fees to Be Further Reviewed If Necessary

The government is considering extending the temporary increases in consultation fees at regional emergency medical centers and additional fees for severe and emergency surgeries that were applied during the recent Chuseok holiday.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 20th, Jeong Yoon-soon, Director of Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated during a daily emergency medical briefing, "The government will provide financial and institutional support to improve the culture of emergency room usage, taking this Chuseok holiday as an opportunity." She added, "First, we will ensure that emergency rooms can focus on severe patients, and we will continuously strengthen compensation for emergency and follow-up care as well as treatment of severe patients to facilitate smooth connections to subsequent medical care."

Director Jeong said, "We will also consider extending the period for support measures such as additional consultation fees for specialists at regional, specialized, and local emergency medical centers, and additional fees for severe and emergency surgeries, which were temporarily implemented during the holiday period." She added, "We will strengthen the function of the wide-area emergency medical situation room to ensure that patient transfers and referrals at the regional level are appropriate and prompt."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to enhance its own capabilities to prevent issues such as emergency room refusal, and besides the temporary fee extension, it is also considering additional regular fee increases if necessary.

Director Jeong also stated, "We will promptly review, through expert discussions, the necessary legal amendments to alleviate the judicial burdens faced by doctors in essential medical fields such as emergency medicine."

She also asked for public cooperation to maintain the current emergency medical system. Director Jeong said, "The emergency medical system due to collective action by residents has been prolonged, and the fatigue of medical staff in the field remains high." She urged, "To ensure that severe and emergency patients receive timely and prompt treatment, please continue to first visit local clinics or nearby small and medium-sized hospital emergency rooms as you did during this Chuseok holiday, and if you believe it is a serious condition requiring urgent response, please call 119."

Addressing the medical community, she said, "I believe the government and the medical community share the basic position that essential and regional medical care must be preserved." She added, "If reasonable alternatives are presented regarding medical school quotas and reform tasks, the government is open-minded and ready to discuss them. Please promptly participate in the ruling and opposition party medical council."