Medical institution workers 'punishment' for violating tuberculosis screening

Medical checkup mandatory, USD 1,000 dollar for one violation...Is the cost of the examination self-imposed?

A law imposing fines on medical institutions for violating the mandatory tuberculosis screening rules was put into effect on Wednesday, requiring medical institutions to pay attention.

The mandatory screening of tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis for hospital workers under the tuberculosis prevention method goes back to 2014. At that time, the National Assembly revised the law to require the head of a medical institution to regularly check tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infections for those working at medical institutions. In 2016, the government expanded the number of institutions that are required to conduct tuberculosis screening from medical institutions to postpartum care businesses, schools and kindergartens, and established a new treatment standard that would allow them to impose a fine of up to USD 2,000 dollar on institutions that violate medical examination duties.

However, there have been no cases of disposal of the regulations so far. As the law does not clearly define who will be fined, it did not lead to the actual disposal. In response, the National Assembly clearly defined those who were fined for violating inspection duties as special autonomous mayors, governors of special autonomous regions, or mayors, county heads, and district offices after further revision of the law last year, and the regulations will take effect on the 12th of last year. Health authorities have also completed the readjustment of sub-law codes in preparation for the application of the law. The legal standard for levying fines for violations of inspection duties set at up to USD 2,000 dollar, USD 1,000 dollar for one violation, USD 1,500 dollar for two violations, and USD 2,000 dollar for more than three violations.

So how should frontline hospitals abide by the relevant laws? According to the enforcement rules of the tuberculosis prevention method, the cycle of carrying out tuberculosis checkups is defined as "once a year." The medical institution conducts tuberculosis checkups on its employees every year and records the results. The first TB examination shall be conducted within one month of the date of the new recruitment. The same rule applies to those who have not been working for more than six months and then return to work due to leave of absence or dispatch.

Unlike tuberculosis screening, which was designated as "one month from the date of recruitment of new employees," the frequency of screening for latent tuberculosis is ambiguous. The Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends conducting an undercover nuclear test as soon as possible after hiring new workers. However, for medical personnel who examine and treat tuberculosis patients, medical engineers who diagnose tuberculosis patients, and other people who can contact tuberculosis patients, the government should conduct an annual latent tuberculosis examination as well as tuberculosis examination.

The mandatory tuberculosis screening and subsequent punishment rules for medical institution workers have also been specified, but there are no clear regulations yet on examination costs. In fact, the Korean Medical Association pointed out before the implementation of the revised Tuberculosis Precaution Act, "Although the revised law obliges medical workers to receive tuberculosis screening and latent tuberculosis examination, there is no support policy for examination costs of at least USD 40 to USD 50 dollar per time."