The issue of so-called fake ambulances, which operate for purposes other than transporting patients, has frequently been raised as a problem.
To identify these unauthorized vehicles, the government has decided to introduce a GPS-based management system.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it has promulgated and implemented a partial amendment to the Enforcement Rule of the Emergency Medical Service Act today, July 13.
Moving forward, the departure point, destination, and travel route of ambulances will be automatically recorded and transmitted in real-time to the ambulance record management system.
Previously, operation logs were written after the fact, which limited the ability to detect falsified records.
When the Ministry of Health and Welfare inspected 147 private transport companies between July and September of last year, it uncovered 94 violations across 88 companies.
Among the cases found were instances where ambulances were used to transport employees to and from work.
To improve the quality of ambulance services, transport and treatment fees, which had been frozen since 2014, will also be adjusted.
The government has decided to introduce a new waiting fee to compensate for the time spent waiting when handing over patients at medical institutions, and to expand the surcharge system applied during weekday nights and holidays.
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.