More "Dalbit Children's Hospitals" to Address Gaps in Pediatric Care

Emergency Medical Services Act Amendment Passed:
Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads Also Granted Designation Authority

Medical Service Act Revision to Enhance Patient Data Protection and Reliability of Military Physical Examinations

From now on, mayors, county governors, and district office heads—who lead basic local governments—will also be able to designate "Dalbit Children's Hospitals," which provide pediatric care during nights and holidays.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on May 8 that the National Assembly plenary session had passed a partial amendment to the Emergency Medical Services Act, among other bills, including this provision.

The amended Emergency Medical Services Act expands the authority to designate Dalbit Children's Hospitals—which was previously held only by the Minister of Health and Welfare and provincial governors—to include mayors, county governors, and district office heads. The aim is for basic local government leaders, who are most familiar with the pediatric care situation in their regions, to independently designate Dalbit Children's Hospitals in order to establish region-specific medical infrastructure and improve the pediatric emergency medical care system.

The government currently designates regional pediatric emergency medical centers, provides support for the salaries of pediatric emergency specialists, and operates a total of 148 Dalbit Children's Hospitals nationwide to ensure there are no gaps in pediatric care during nights and holidays. To facilitate the operation of Dalbit Children's Hospitals, the government has also implemented measures such as additional payment for late-night pediatric care, increasing pediatric treatment fees, and providing operational subsidies.

On the same day, the National Assembly also passed a partial revision to the Medical Service Act, which aims to better protect patient information and enhance the reliability of physical examinations for military service assessment.

As a result, from now on, healthcare professionals and hospital or clinic operators will be required to keep separate access logs whenever they view electronic medical records containing patients’ treatment information. This is to prevent sensitive data, such as information about the patient’s diseases or health status, from being leaked or misused without authorization.

Additionally, the head of the local Military Manpower Administration office will be authorized to request the submission of treatment records and other medical documents related to individuals undergoing confirmation physical examinations from the heads of medical institutions.

The bills passed at the National Assembly plenary session on this day are scheduled to be submitted to and approved by the Cabinet before being implemented.

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