South Korea's National Assembly has passed an amendment to the Emergency Medical Service Act aimed at overhauling the emergency medical system to curb the practice of hospitals rejecting emergency patients, often referred to as "emergency room bouncing."

Under the revised law, if a suitable emergency medical facility for a severe emergency patient is not quickly determined, the Central Emergency Medical Situation Room and the 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center will be authorized to designate a medical facility to admit the patient.

Previously, the law only stipulated that ambulance operators should transport patients while comprehensively considering the patient's condition and the regional emergency transport system.

The amendment also requires emergency medical institutions to notify the Central Emergency Medical Situation Room whenever a situation arises that makes it difficult to admit emergency patients.

In addition, justifiable grounds for refusing or avoiding the provision of emergency medical care have been specifically defined.

These include cases where an emergency medical facility's resources—such as facilities, equipment, or medical personnel—are fully in use, making it impossible to provide appropriate emergency care to additional patients.

The regulations regarding the mitigation or exemption of criminal liability for emergency medical personnel when a patient dies or is injured as a result of emergency care will also be revised.

The previous discretionary rule stating that criminal liability "may be exempted" has been changed to a mandatory provision stating that it "shall be exempted."

Accordingly, emergency medical workers at hospitals that admit critical patients will be exempted from criminal liability if a patient suffers injury or death despite emergency care provided urgently to prevent risk to life, severe physical or mental harm, or worsening of symptoms.

However, the medical act must have been inevitable, and there must have been no gross negligence.

Meanwhile, an amendment to the Act on the Special Account for Agricultural and Rural Structural Improvement, proposed by Representative Lee Kai-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea, was rejected.

Of the 222 lawmakers present, 94 voted in favor, 60 voted against, and 68 abstained.

The amendment sought to expand the scope of fund transfers from the rural special tax project account within the Special Account for Agricultural and Rural Structural Improvement, extending it from the regional autonomy account of the Special Account for Balanced Regional Development to the entire Special Account for Balanced Regional Development.

The voting results indicated that opposing votes and abstentions came not only from the People Power Party but also from the ruling party.

Representative Kim Young-hwan of the Democratic Party took the floor to speak against the bill, despite it being introduced by a fellow party member.

"The expenditure purpose of the Special Account for Balanced Regional Development is scoped to national-scale initiatives such as hyper-regional revitalization projects and balanced national development," Representative Kim pointed out.

He went on to argue, "Because the expenditure purpose does not align, this will continually exacerbate problems down the road."

He also criticized the measure, saying, "This is an amendment aimed at conferring legality upon an illegal transfer of accounts."

"I urge you to vote against it because it undermines the very purpose of establishing the special account," he added.

(Photo: Yonhap News)