Deployment of PA Nurses Accelerates Legislation of Medical Accident Handling Special Act

The government has responded to the opposition from medical residents regarding the increase in medical school admissions by simultaneously offering incentives and imposing penalties. Starting from the 27th, the government will officially implement the 'Pilot Project for Clinical Support Personnel (PA) Nurses' to minimize medical service gaps caused by collective actions of medical residents, while also accelerating the enactment of the 'Special Act on Medical Accident Handling' to alleviate the legal risks faced by healthcare professionals.

On the 27th, as collective actions by residents increased nationwide inconvenience due to medical service gaps, Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, attended and spoke at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters video meeting on doctors' collective actions held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

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Cho Kyu-hong, the 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Medical Group Actions (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that "In general hospitals where medical residents have withdrawn, nurses are covering a significant portion of the medical service gaps," adding, "To alleviate delays in patient care, starting today, a pilot project for clinical support personnel targeting nurses will be implemented." Accordingly, the scope of tasks that nurses can perform may be determined under the responsibility of the head of the medical institution by establishing an internal committee or through consultation with the head nurse.

He explained, "This is implemented in accordance with the Framework Act on Health and Medical Services, and nurses are legally protected for actions performed within the medical institution."

Regarding the incident on the 23rd in Daejeon, where an elderly patient in their 80s suffering from consciousness impairment and cardiac arrest wandered around the emergency room and died, he said, "A joint on-site investigation is being conducted by relevant agencies," and added, "If any serious harm occurs due to the collective action of doctors, an immediate response team will be established and operated within the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for on-site verification and prompt action."

Additionally, the government plans to accelerate the enactment and amendment of laws related to medical accident handling to resolve the avoidance of essential medical services by healthcare professionals and reduce the burden of medical disputes.

Minister Cho stated, "The risk of medical accidents is a core reason for avoiding essential medical services," explaining, "Due to litigation-centered resolution of medical disputes, both patients and healthcare professionals bear increased burdens; patients suffer from prolonged lawsuits, and healthcare professionals avoid essential medical services due to the legal burdens of medical accidents."

He continued, "At the 'Essential Medical Innovation Strategy Meeting' held on October 19 last year, the need to alleviate the legal risks faced by healthcare professionals was raised, and as a follow-up measure, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have been discussing the 'Special Act on Medical Accident Handling' with urgency since October last year."

He added, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare has conducted in-depth discussions on ways to protect both patients and healthcare professionals from medical accidents through the 'Medical Dispute System Improvement Council,' emphasizing that the core is to ensure patients receive broad compensation and doctors can practice with confidence by reducing litigation risks so that healthcare professionals engaged in essential medical services do not leave."

Minister Cho said, "To this end, we will first apply criminal punishment exceptions to healthcare professionals who have subscribed to liability and comprehensive insurance through the enactment of the Special Act on Medical Accident Handling." He also stated, "We will amend the Act on Medical Accident Victim Relief and Medical Dispute Mediation to mandate liability insurance subscription and establish a Medical Institution Safety Mutual Aid Association."

He concluded, "Through the enactment of the Special Act on Medical Accident Handling, which is unprecedented in other countries, it is expected that patients will receive prompt and sufficient relief from damages, and healthcare professionals will be able to focus on medical care."

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