In response to ongoing concerns raised by healthcare professionals and patient advocacy groups, the South Korean government is launching a comprehensive administrative investigation to eliminate improper and illegal practices in the medical field.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on June 10 that it will activate the "Administrative Investigation Team for Abnormal and Fraudulent Medical Practices" starting June 15. This team will focus on investigating improper and illegal activities within healthcare.
The team will prioritize cases that have generated public controversy. Specifically, it will investigate instances where patients are admitted under conditions involving ineffective treatments, such as injections deemed ineffective by experts, and where excessive medical fees are charged. It will also target the excessive prescription of narcotics and psychotropic drugs without medical justification, as well as other unethical practices by medical professionals.
Under current medical laws, prescriptions and medical actions are based on the professional judgment of healthcare providers, which has limited regulatory oversight. To address this, the Ministry plans to actively enforce violations of the "prohibition of unethical medical practices" as outlined in Article 66 of the Medical Law and Article 32 of its enforcement decree.
Article 32 defines academically unrecognized medical practices, unethical treatment, and unnecessary tests, prescriptions, or surgeries as actions that damage the dignity of medical professionals. If violations are identified, the Minister of Health and Welfare can impose administrative penalties, including license suspensions of up to one year.
The Ministry will maintain a cooperative framework with medical associations during the investigation process to ensure that expert opinions are respected when assessing abnormal practices. This approach aims to establish a system that allows for swift sanctions, such as license suspensions, even for actions that may not yet be legally defined as violations but are deemed unethical by professional ethics committees.
Additionally, if any illegal activities, such as operating unlicensed clinics or issuing false documents, are suspected during the investigations, the Ministry plans to report these to law enforcement agencies for further action.
Kwak Soon-hun, head of the Administrative Investigation Team for Abnormal and Fraudulent Medical Practices, stated, "We will do our utmost to create a healthcare environment where the public can feel secure, ensuring that hospitals and clinics engaging in abnormal practices are not recognized as legitimate."
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on June 10 that it will activate the "Administrative Investigation Team for Abnormal and Fraudulent Medical Practices" starting June 15. This team will focus on investigating improper and illegal activities within healthcare.
The team will prioritize cases that have generated public controversy. Specifically, it will investigate instances where patients are admitted under conditions involving ineffective treatments, such as injections deemed ineffective by experts, and where excessive medical fees are charged. It will also target the excessive prescription of narcotics and psychotropic drugs without medical justification, as well as other unethical practices by medical professionals.
Under current medical laws, prescriptions and medical actions are based on the professional judgment of healthcare providers, which has limited regulatory oversight. To address this, the Ministry plans to actively enforce violations of the "prohibition of unethical medical practices" as outlined in Article 66 of the Medical Law and Article 32 of its enforcement decree.
Article 32 defines academically unrecognized medical practices, unethical treatment, and unnecessary tests, prescriptions, or surgeries as actions that damage the dignity of medical professionals. If violations are identified, the Minister of Health and Welfare can impose administrative penalties, including license suspensions of up to one year.
The Ministry will maintain a cooperative framework with medical associations during the investigation process to ensure that expert opinions are respected when assessing abnormal practices. This approach aims to establish a system that allows for swift sanctions, such as license suspensions, even for actions that may not yet be legally defined as violations but are deemed unethical by professional ethics committees.
Additionally, if any illegal activities, such as operating unlicensed clinics or issuing false documents, are suspected during the investigations, the Ministry plans to report these to law enforcement agencies for further action.
Kwak Soon-hun, head of the Administrative Investigation Team for Abnormal and Fraudulent Medical Practices, stated, "We will do our utmost to create a healthcare environment where the public can feel secure, ensuring that hospitals and clinics engaging in abnormal practices are not recognized as legitimate."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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