“Non-face-to-face medical treatment enforcement rules and principles… must be completely reexamined”

“Overturning promises, such as the principle of face-to-face treatment… Participation will be carefully considered when confirmed as is.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Young-shin = On the 19th, the Korean Medical Association called for a full reexamination of the revised medical law enforcement rules related to non-face-to-face treatment announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, saying that it violates the principles of the medical law.

The Korean Medical Association said in a press release that day, “The revision to the enforcement rules directly overturns the principle of strictly limiting non-face-to-face treatment to an auxiliary means of face-to-face treatment in subordinate laws.”

The Korean Medical Association reported that the government and the medical community promised four major principles, including ▲ principles of face-to-face treatment, ▲ focus on returning patients, ▲ focus on clinic-level treatment, and ▲ prohibition of institutions dedicated to non-face-to-face treatment, and that the framework of the system was included in the revised Medical Service Act.

He continued, “However, the amendment to the enforcement rules has reversed the principles and exceptions by greatly expanding the scope of first-time treatment, hospital-level, and out-of-region treatment that the law excludes,” and added, “Expanding the exceptions set by the law to subordinate laws goes against the purpose of the law.”

The Korean Medical Association pointed out, “Once safety measures have been lifted due to convenience and industrial logic, it is difficult to restore them, and the damage goes all the way to the patients,” adding, “For the government to overturn the basic principles promised to the medical community just two months before the law goes into effect is breaking trust in the policy.”

The Korean Medical Association said that the government should completely reexamine the amendment in line with the four principles and said, “If the amendment is confirmed as is, we will carefully review whether or not to participate in non-face-to-face treatment.”