Government coughs up extra funds to nurse medical system back to health

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Government coughs up extra funds to nurse medical system back to health

Published: 07 Mar. 2024, 13:05

LEE SOO-JUNG
lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr

A patient is transported to an emergency room at general hospital in Seoul on Thursday morning. [NEWS1]

The government on Thursday said it will expedite emergency measures aimed at addressing fears over stretched medical resources.

The Health Ministry announced the same day that it will allocate 188.2 billion won ($141 million) monthly to compensate hospitals caring for critically ill patients. The fund will also be used to reward board-certified doctors treating patients in intensive care units.

“The national authorities will detail the measures to hike medical fees for emergency and high-risk operations and accelerate the legalization process of the law that reduces the legal risks burdened by doctors,” said Lee Han-kyung, the Interior Ministry’s chief disaster management official during a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting in Sejong on the same day.

The Health Ministry confirmed that a total of 11,219 junior trainee doctors from 100 major hospitals have either staged walkouts or decided not to renew their employment contracts as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Lee said that with the approval of a new reserve of 128.5 billion won on Wednesday, distinct from the fund announced by the Health Ministry on Thursday, the government has gained significant momentum to advance its medical reform agenda.

"This reserve will be allocated to recruit replacements who can address the vacancies resulting from the strikes of junior doctors and to cover the labor expenses of those who undertake additional shifts and night shifts during emergencies."

“Each locality’s disaster management fund will subsidize public medical institutions’ labor expenses,” Lee said. “The government will not hesitate to give proper compensation for medical professionals who prioritize and stand by patients.”

Lee said the government will accomplish its medical reform and ultimately return the favor to the public.

On the same day, the Health Ministry also unveiled a supplementary guideline which sets a clear line on duties and performances that nurses can perform.

The guideline allows nurses to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, and to administer medications in case of emergency.

It differentiates nurses into three categories according to their licenses and skills: professional, specifically-tasked and regular nurses.

Professional and specifically-tasked nurses can prescribe medicines and order an examination. They can also write drafts of medical documentation required for hospital transfer and surgery consent forms.

The guidance will be applied to nurses at large and general hospitals with trainee doctors.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, KIM EUN-BIN [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]