In so-called “ghost operations”, less qualified personnel carry out the operation and not the actual surgeon. After some deaths, South Korea obliges hospitals to have surveillance cameras in the operating room.
When cameras are used during operations, it is usually only so that the surgeons can get a better view of the patient’s body. But in South Korea, the devices now serve a completely different purpose: hospitals there are legally obliged to record operations with cameras – a global first. This is to prevent botch in the operating room.
The law was passed last year after a discussion about so-called “ghost operations” in the Asian country. In doing so, surgeons let nurses, interns or less qualified doctors perform the operations. In the past eight years, five people have died in such “ghost operations” in South Korea, reports the “New York Times”.
“Ghost operations” in South Korea: a mother’s protest
The issue gained public attention through the protest of Lee Na-geum, a 62-year-old South Korean woman. Her son Kwon Dae-hee died in 2016 after a cosmetic procedure. Lee was able to use video recordings to prove that the operation was not performed by a plastic surgeon but by his assistant. Since 2018, the mother has been protesting alone in front of the Seoul Parliament, demanding justice for her son’s death and new legal regulations.
“Once the cameras are installed, your lies will be exposed. The cameras will reveal the truth,” she threatened. Their first success: Last year, the man who operated on Kwon Dae-hee was sentenced to three years in prison for manslaughter by negligence. In addition, politicians also addressed the issue. Lee was able to show that her son’s case was not an isolated case. Politicians are very keen to strengthen and maintain trust in the country’s healthcare system.
Doctors are fighting the law
At the latest after a two-year transition period, which ends in September 2023, all hospitals must have purchased monitoring systems. All operations under general anesthesia must be recorded. The recordings must be backed up for 30 days and can be viewed by investigative authorities or courts.
Video surveillance is commonplace in South Korean society, but there have been protests from the Medical Association. She feared a loss of trust among patients, pointing out that doctors who are filmed are less likely to take risks during operations to save patients’ lives.
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Source: Stern
