[2026 Parliamentary Audit] Health Ministry: "Will Draw Up Guidelines for Investigations at Essential Medical Sites"

Discussing Improvements to Medical Accident Investigation Procedures with the National Police Agency

After a recent police search and seizure at a pediatric emergency room where patients were being treated sparked controversy, the government decided to improve investigative procedures in essential healthcare.

Jung Eunkyung, Minister of Health and Welfare, answers questions from ruling and opposition party lawmakers during a parliamentary audit held by the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee on the 7th. Yonhap News Agency

At an October 7 parliamentary audit by the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eunkyung said, in response to Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, who argued that “searches and seizures at essential healthcare sites should be carried out only when absolutely necessary and in a way that does not disrupt medical treatment,” that “we have agreed to establish guidelines on investigations and searches and seizures that reflect the positions of the National Police Agency and the medical community.”

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it met with the National Police Agency the previous day to discuss the search and seizure conducted by police on September 30 at the Pediatric Emergency Medical Center of Ajou University Hospital in Gyeonggi Province, and that the two sides agreed on the need to create an environment where medical staff in essential healthcare can work with confidence.

The two ministries also agreed to continue discussions on investigation procedures for medical accidents in high-risk essential healthcare fields, taking into account the intent behind amendments to the Medical Dispute Mediation Act (Act on Remedies for Injuries from Medical Accidents and Mediation of Medical Disputes) and the Emergency Medical Service Act, which provide for exemptions from criminal liability for medical staff in essential healthcare.

Son Young-rae, director of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Regional Essential Public Healthcare Office, said, “To ensure the long-term sustainability of essential healthcare fields such as pediatric emergency care, we need to create an environment where medical staff on the front lines can work without unnecessary anxiety,” adding, “We will continue to coordinate with the National Police Agency to achieve this.”

The Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine previously issued a statement saying, “In specialized treatment areas where a delay of even a few seconds can determine whether a child lives or dies, the sudden arrival of investigative personnel and on-site execution of a warrant can distract medical staff and disrupt the flow of care, potentially leading directly to delayed treatment and safety incidents involving other critically ill pediatric emergency patients”, and criticized the move, saying, “It was excessive to brandish a search and seizure warrant against a hospital and medical staff who had cooperated fully with the investigation.”

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