Gov't to boost support for trauma centers

Surgeon’s remarks resonating with public

By Lee Kyung-min

The government will increase financial assistance to nationwide trauma centers, following an outpouring public support for surgeon Lee Cook-jong who drew attention to the poor conditions here while treating a North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea, Nov.13. Lee is the head of Ajou University Hospital trauma center in Suwon.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday that it would allocate more financial and human resources to the 16 nationwide centers designated in 2012 to reduce the number of preventable deaths to below 20 percent from 35.2 percent in 2010.

The centers are supposed to be equipped with the necessary mobile and medical apparatus and personnel around the clock to immediately treat critical trauma victims who’ve sustained major injuries due to automobile accidents, falls, or wounds from penetrating objects.

The ministry said it was considering giving more state support to pay workers there, given that most doctors and medical staff remain unwilling to work in the “physically demanding and mentally exhausting” environment.

It will also revise current criteria under which it is allowed to cut the medical cost hospitals seek in reimbursement after treating patients.

Under the single-payer National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) program here, medical institutions have to treat patients first, and seek the treatment cost from the NHIS later.

If the ministry deems the expenditure unnecessary or is excessive, the NHIS doesn’t give the amount sought by the medical institutions, and they have to pay out of their own revenue. Many medical institutions have claimed this was the reason for continued deficits in hospital operations, resulting in low-quality services.

The ministry said it would make new criteria identifying which medicines or treatments are to be guaranteed for reimbursement including using a helicopter to transfer victims from accident site to the centers.

Meanwhile, more than 200,000 people signed a petition on Cheong Wa Dae’s website, seeking greater material support for trauma centers. The presidential office is also expected to respond to the petition in 30 days.

The groundswell of public support followed Lee’s conference during which he highlighted the poor working conditions of staff there.

A six-month pregnant nurse boarded a helicopter due to manpower shortage, while it is commonplace for doctors to work 36-hour shifts.

Lee said that he understood why young doctors and medical staff would shun working in trauma centers despite the honorable mission of saving lives.

Lee’s rather emotional conference came after Rep. Kim Jong-dae, a military expert-turned-lawmaker of the Justice Party, said Lee violated the human rights of the defected North Korean soldier by disclosing his stomach content and infection with parasitic worms.

Lee performed two operations on the soldier who was in a critical condition after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds while crossing the military demarcation line within the Joint Security Area. The soldier is currently in a stable condition.