(C) TBS
SEOUL – In a decisive move to tackle the chronic issue of "emergency room (ER) merry-go-rounds"—where ambulances are repeatedly turned away by hospitals—Representative Kim Sun-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party has introduced a landmark special act. The bill seeks to establish a high-powered, independent investigative body to uncover the systemic failures leading to patient deaths during transit.
An Independent Body with Teeth
The proposed "Special Act for the Investigation and Analysis of ER Merry-Go-Round Fatalities" outlines the creation of a temporary, independent commission. Unlike previous internal reviews, this committee would possess significant legal authority, including the power to:
Select specific fatal cases from the past five years for deep-dive analysis.
Issue mandatory orders for the submission of records and physical evidence.
Hold public hearings to demand accountability and transparency from medical institutions and government agencies.
Beyond Individual Blame: A Systems Approach
Rep. Kim, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, emphasized that the goal is not to scapegoat specific doctors or hospitals. Instead, the focus is on diagnosing "blind spots" in the national emergency management system.
"Current amendments to the Emergency Medical Service Act are insufficient to fix complex issues like chronic staff shortages, the practice of refusing patients, and disjointed transport systems," Rep. Kim stated.
She cited a 2003 British case where a two-year government-led investigation into a child’s death led to a total overhaul of the UK’s medical system. "Korea desperately needs a similar cross-departmental, independent investigation to protect the citizens' right to life," she added.
Mandatory Reporting and Policy Reform
Under the bill, the commission must submit a comprehensive final report to the National Assembly and the President. This report will include:
Direct and indirect causes of fatalities.
Recommendations for reforming laws, policies, and institutional practices.
Corrective measures for relevant state agencies.
To ensure the findings don't gather dust, the bill mandates that state agencies report their implementation progress to the National Assembly annually. The Assembly would also be required to reflect the report’s spirit in future legislative sessions.
Two-Pronged Strategy
This special act follows another bill introduced by Rep. Kim earlier this month, which proposed designating "Priority Acceptance Hospitals." That previous legislation focused on providing state subsidies for labor and facilities while granting medical staff immunity from criminal liability in emergency cases, provided there is no gross negligence.
By combining systemic investigation with practical protections for frontline medics, the new legislative push aims to ensure that no patient dies while searching for an open hospital bed.
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