Minister Jeong Eun-kyung: "We Will Establish a Healthcare System Where Mothers Can Give Birth With Peace of Mind Anywhere"

Condolences to the Cheongju Pregnant Woman Following Fetal Death, Shared via Social Media
Ministry of Health and Welfare to Discuss Improvement Plans with 22 Critical and Regional Maternal and Child Health Centers on May 4

In response to the recent fetal death incident in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyung pledged, "We will ensure the establishment of a maternal and neonatal healthcare system that allows expectant mothers to give birth with peace of mind, regardless of region."

Jung Eun-kyeong, Minister of Health and Welfare, visited the Chungbuk Regional Maternal and Child Health Center on the 3rd to discuss issues and improvement measures of the maternal and child healthcare system. X

On May 3, through her social media, Minister Jeong stated, "A pregnant woman in the Cheongju area was transferred to a hospital in Busan due to an emergency situation where the 29-week fetus’s heartbeat dropped, but unfortunately, the baby was unable to see the light of the world. I would like to express my condolences," reaffirming her commitment.

Previously, on May 1 in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, a pregnant woman was unable to find a hospital for an emergency delivery and was transferred to Busan, but the fetus ultimately passed away.

In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held an emergency on-site meeting that day at the Chungbuk National University Hospital, the regional maternal and child health center for North Chungcheong Province, to discuss the issues and possible improvements to the maternal and neonatal healthcare system with local medical professionals.

At this meeting, several causes were identified: difficulties in securing an adequate number of specialists for 24/7 emergency coverage year-round, insufficient compensation relative to the level of responsibility, and the civil and criminal liabilities in the event of a medical incident.

Minister Jeong explained, "Although high-risk deliveries, such as those involving older mothers or multiple births, have been increasing recently, there is a severe shortage of obstetric specialists and neonatologists. Regional medical institutions, in particular, face greater difficulties in securing specialists. For example, Chungbuk National University Hospital had only one obstetrician, making it challenging to respond during nights and holidays."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to address these structural problems by thoroughly analyzing the systems of critical, regional, and local maternal and child health centers and reorganizing the maternal and neonatal care system according to the severity of cases. Additionally, the system for real-time monitoring of maternal and child healthcare resources will be improved to facilitate patient transfers, and cooperation with the 119 emergency medical services will be strengthened.

Minister Jeong added, "We will urgently prepare measures to improve care in vulnerable regions. At the same time, we will reinforce the safety net for medical incidents so that more medical professionals can work and actively accept patients in essential fields such as high-risk deliveries."

She further emphasized, "The recent passage of the amendment to the Medical Dispute Mediation Act at the National Assembly on April 23, the essential healthcare insurance support project, and expanded state compensation for unavoidable delivery accidents will serve as important foundations for improvement. We will also establish appropriate compensation systems for both institutions and medical staff at critical and regional maternal and child health centers."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to discuss improvement measures on May 4 with 22 critical and regional maternal and child health centers nationwide, as well as the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Korean Pediatric Society.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.