Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, on the 14th revealed his pledge to reorganize the regional trauma and emergency medical system into a metropolitan hub system and to implement a 'national complete responsibility system' that holds the state accountable for employment, operations, and litigation.
Plans are also in place to strengthen legal protection for emergency medical personnel to address the issue that frequent medical lawsuits make it difficult for medical staff to choose active medical interventions.
The government-designated regional trauma center initially planned to concentrate investments in 6 locations during early research, but due to political reasons and other factors, it has been split into 17 locations, receiving criticism for poor policy effectiveness.
The candidate stated that he would designate a separate metropolitan hub center for critically ill patients among the regional emergency medical centers. Patients who do not fall under the emergency transport system or local patients without justifiable reasons are, in principle, not permitted.
Plans are to consolidate the existing 17 regional trauma centers into 5 to 6 metropolitan hub centers, and the metropolitan hub trauma centers and metropolitan hub emergency medical centers will operate under a 'national complete responsibility system' where the state will fully assume responsibility from employment to operations and litigation.
He also promised to establish Korea's emergency medical guidelines, referencing the U.S. Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and to reform the system to expand the exemption of criminal responsibility for emergency medical personnel.
The plan is to enhance state support for emergency medical institutions and personnel, including direct support for hospitals receiving emergency patients and strengthening the authority of safety personnel and civilian police.
A dedicated management department with medical expertise will be established within the newly created Ministry of Health, and there will also be a push to mandate the deployment of at least one doctor helicopter per province and to secure emergency landing areas in urban centers.
A member of the Reform Party election committee noted, 'By having the state take responsibility for emergency and trauma medical fields where every second counts, we will enable medical personnel to focus on their primary duty of saving patients' lives.'