Children's hospitals welcomed a bill that would require the government to address pediatric care gaps and establish a health management system for children from birth to adolescence.

Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, sponsored the “Basic Act on Children and Adolescents’ Health” containing these provisions last Friday.

The core of this bill is to establish a pediatric healthcare network centered on medical institutions that provide pediatric care, such as pediatric emergency medical centers, public specialized treatment centers, and pediatric specialized emergency medical centers. It aims to create a comprehensive regional pediatric medical system that provides care anytime, anywhere.

To improve the current situation, where mild and moderate pediatric patients flood emergency rooms during nights and holidays, the Minister of Health and Welfare will designate “Pediatric Emergency Medical Centers.” The national and local governments will support operating costs. These centers will provide care for both mild cases and moderate pediatric patients requiring immediate treatment, even during nights and holidays.

Additionally, the bill calls for the government to establish a “Pediatric and Adolescent Health Policy Deliberation Committee.” This ensures the government formulates a “Comprehensive Plan for Pediatric and Adolescent Health” every five years. Ministries and local governments must develop and evaluate annual implementation plans to enhance policy coherence.

Specifically, procedures were institutionalized to establish appropriate fee and compensation systems that reflect the unique characteristics of pediatric care. When fee adjustments are necessary, the Minister of Health and Welfare can formally submit opinions to the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee after review by the Pediatric and Adolescent Health Policy Deliberation Committee.

Furthermore, the bill introduces the “Pediatric Primary Care Physician System” to provide tailored healthcare services at each growth stage. The government will designate areas with severe medical gaps as “Pediatric and Adolescent Medical Vulnerable Areas” and require the implementation of comprehensive support measures.

“The core of pediatric emergency medical centers is for the state to institutionally open an ‘appropriate treatment pathway’ so that moderately ill pediatric patients don't have to go to the emergency room,” Rep. Kim stated. “A comprehensive regional pediatric medical system where children can be safely treated within their region is no longer an option but the minimum condition the state must guarantee.”

The Korea Children’s Hospital Association expressed its “strong support” for this bill on Monday.

The association stated, "While the phrase ‘children are our future’ has been repeated, practical legal systems for children's growth and health have been absent. The reality is that pediatric care has been ‘squeezed in’ to adult-centered medical policies and systems. We expect this legislation to establish pediatric healthcare policies and systems, creating a foundation where the state takes responsibility for children's growth and health."

It also emphasized the need to review the overall system that the government is promoting to prevent gaps in pediatric care.

“The ongoing pilot project for the regional cooperative network in pediatric care must be meticulously evaluated to preserve its strengths and address its weaknesses, swiftly transitioning it into a full-scale program,” the association said. “The urgent issue of delayed patient transfers must be resolved immediately. Simultaneously, aspects of the Moonlight Children's Hospital that have deviated from its original purpose and become distorted must be corrected to ensure it is firmly established as a core pediatric healthcare policy.”