한방병원에 관한 의료법 개정

Medical Law Reformation on Korean Medicine Hospitals in the Case of the Jaehan Oriental Medicine Hospital

Objectives : 한방병원에 관한 의료법의 개정 내용을 최초의 한방병원인 제한한방병원의 설립과 운영을 통해 살펴보고자 한다. Methods : 1951년 국민의료법 제정 이래 의료기관 종별에 한방병원이 등장하는 1973년까지의 의료법 개정을 살펴보고, 의료법 개정 내용을 중심으로 제한한방병원의 설립과 운영에 대해 살펴보았다. Results ＆ conclusion : 의료법에 ‘한방병원’이 등장하는 것은 1973년 2월 16일 의료법이 전면 개정되면서부터이다. 한방병원에 관한 법 규정이 제정된 이후, 의료법(법률 제2533호)에 따라 1973년 11월 24일 우리나라 최초의 한방병원이 설립되는데, 이것이 바로 현재 대구한의대학교 부속 한방병원의 전신인 ‘제한한방병원’이다. 제한한방병원이 의료법에 근거하여 한방병원으로 등록된 것은 1973년 11월이지만, 병원이 본격적으로 진료를 시작한 것은 1970년 12월이다. 제한한방병원은 의료법의 병원설립 기준에 따라 설립되었으나, 같은 의료법의 다른 조항에 의거하여 한방병원에서 부속 한의원으로 의료기관 종별을 변경하게 된다. 1960년대에서 1970년대는 국가 경제가 성장하면서 의학과 병원 또한 급속하게 발전하는 시기였다. 따라서 의료법의 개정이 현실의 상황을 미처 따라오지 못하였던 것으로 보인다. 하지만, 사회적으로 환자의 이동권 혹은 한방의료가 담당하던 질병의 관리 차원에서 입원시설을 갖춘 한방 의료기관이 필요했다. 이에 이미 그 역할을 수행하고 있었던 제한한방병원이 의료법 개정에 있어 참고 사례가 되었을 가능성도 생각해 볼 수 있다.

Objectives : To look at the medical law reformation of Korean Medicine hospitals through the establishment and management of the Jaehan Oriental Medicine Hospital, which was the first Korean Medicine Hospital in South Korea. Methods : Revisions of the medical law since the establishment of the National Medical Act in 1951 up until 1973 when the ‘Korean Medicine hospital’ first entered the medical institution category were examined. Based on the revised contents, the establishment and management of the Jaehan hospital were examined. Results & Conclusions : The first mentioning of Korean Medicine hospital in the medical law took place on Feb 16, 1973 when the medical law was completely revised. After law regulations on Korean Medicine hospitals were established, the fist Korean Medicine hospital was founded on Nov. 24th, 1973 according to act 2533 of the medical law. This is the Jaehan Oriental Medicine Hospital, which is the predecessor of what we now know as the Daegu Korean Medicine University Hospital. Although the Jaehan hospital was registered as a legitimate Korean Medicine hospital in November of 1973, it had already started medical practice in December of 1970. While it was established according to the standards of medical law, it changed its institution category from Korean Medicine hospital to affiliated Korean Medicine clinic based on another clause within the same law. The decade from 1960 to 1970 was a time when national economy was developing, and the field of medicine and medical institutions were also booming. As such, revisions in the medical law seems to not have been able to keep up with what was happening in reality. To meet the patients right to move or to manage diseases which Korean Medicine was taking responsibility for, a medical institution with inpatient capacity was required. Therefore it is possible that the Jaehan hospital which had already been providing such a role could have been a sample case for reference in the medical law revision process.