Medical professionals fear taking on treatment responsibility
Ministry of Health and Welfare says it will clearly help on-site,
A medical professional heading to an emergency treatment center at a hospital in downtown Seoul. Yonhap News,
, ‘[Seoul Economy]’,
,
, ‘The government has been dispatching military doctors to hospitals facing operational disruptions in emergency rooms due to personnel shortages, but even these military personnel find it difficult to work on-site and are returning to their units, leading to disruptions in emergency room operations.’,
,
, ‘According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and medical professionals on the 7th, all 15 military doctors dispatched to five medical institutions including Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Ajou University Hospital, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University Hospital, and Kangwon National University Hospital are not working in the emergency rooms.’,
,
, ‘Military doctors who were dispatched to Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Ajou University Hospital, and Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital have all ceased their duties and returned to the military due to the judgment that they cannot work on-site.’,
,
, ‘At Yonsei University Severance Hospital, although three military doctors were deployed, after discussions it was notified that they found it difficult to engage in full-fledged emergency room treatment. It was reported that among them, there was even a specialist in emergency medicine.’,
,
, ‘At Ajou University Hospital, although two military doctors were deployed to the emergency room and one to the anesthesiology department, all three of them expressed their inability to work on-site. A hospital official from Ajou University Hospital mentioned, “There are currently no military doctors working in the hospital and emergency room; all have returned based on their own decisions.”‘,
,
, ‘The two military doctors dispatched to Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital were both emergency medicine specialists, but they stated that they cannot treat patients and chose to return.’,
,
, ‘Chungbuk National University Hospital deployed two military doctors who were specialists in emergency medicine to the intensive care unit instead of the emergency room. Kangwon National University Hospital is currently discussing the scope of work considering the specialties and experience of the military doctors.’,
,
, ‘Both within and outside of the medical community, it is seen that even military doctors who are specialists may feel burdened by lack of clinical experience when being deployed on-site. Furthermore, it is mentioned that military doctors might be hesitant to engage in emergency room treatment due to unclear responsibility in case of medical accidents, as the range of patients they can treat varies depending on their specialties.’,
,
,
Medical professionals moving in front of the emergency room of a tertiary hospital in Daegu where an ambulance is waiting. Yonhap News,
,
, ‘Even in the field where military doctors and nurses have been supported, there are doubts about the effectiveness of this plan. According to the Seoul National University Hospital Emergency Response Committee, only 30.9% of 217 professors surveyed at the end of last month answered that the deployment of military doctors and nurses helped alleviate the burden in treatment.’,
,
, ‘The percentage of responses indicating “not helpful” was similar at 31.8%. However, the remaining respondents were cases where military doctors and nurses were not deployed to their respective medical departments.’,
,
, ‘Nevertheless, the government asserts that providing support for ‘scarce’ personnel is meaningful.’,
,
, ‘Baek Gyeong-taek, Director of the Health Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, “Because there is a shortage of medical personnel on-site, it is not ineffective for the government to support available personnel. Whether working in the emergency room or assisting in post-treatment care, I believe it will definitely be helpful on-site.”‘,
,
, ‘The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to create guidelines for military doctors and nurses dispatched in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense to ensure the effectiveness of their deployment on-site.’,
,
,