한국의 의료사고와 피해구제

A Study on the Medical Accident and Malpractice Relief System in Korea

In the 1980s, not only medical accident but also medical disputes became social problems in the nation, and from the year of 1988 medical circles as well as the government started to discuss enactment of laws of dispute settlement in medical malpractice. The purpose of enactment of laws of dispute settlement in medical malpractice was to regulate dispute settlement in medical malpractice as well as compensation for losses and damages and to compensate for people s life and physical injury as well as losses and damages of the properties promptly and fairly and to build up stable medical examination and treatment environment. The drafts of proposed laws were automatically cancelled at expiration of the 14th, 15th and 16th term National Assembly because of disagreement among physicians, medical service consumers (patients), the government s department in charge and other interested parties. Lawmakers drafts of proposed law, that is to say, not only a draft of the Law on Prevention of Medical Accidents and Malpractice Relief 1) but also a draft of the Law on Health and Medical Dispute Settlement 2), were submitted to the 17th term National Assembly, and associated sub-committee of National Assembly had difficulties at investigation to cancel the law at expiration. In such a way, enactment of the law of medical dispute settlement continued to attempt as many as 22 years. As the press released recently, what was worse was confrontation among the government, medical circles and non government organizations concerning introduction of open-type investment hospitals jeopardized base of the Law of Medical Service that was enacted in 1973. This study examined medical accidents and medical dispute in malpractice briefly to investigate the law of medical dispute settlement and malpractice relief and to discuss issues in dispute.