Health ministry expands childbirth accident coverage to severe maternal disabilities

The health ministry said Tuesday that national compensation for unavoidable childbirth-related medical accidents has expanded this month to cover mothers with severe disabilities, following Cabinet approval of a revision to the relevant enforcement decree.

Coverage had previously been restricted to newborn cerebral palsy and newborn and maternal deaths. Unavoidable accidents occur during or after delivery even when health-care providers have fulfilled their duty of care. The government last July raised the maximum payment to 300 million won from 30 million won. The ministry said it has continued to expand the program as part of a medical-accident safety net for patients and medical personnel.

On May 27, 2027, the program is due to extend from childbirth to medical accidents involving high-risk essential care procedures specified by the ministry. The government said it will review, within its budget, the specific procedures eligible for additional compensation to ease providers' reluctance to work in high-risk essential care and help essential-care staff focus on treatment in a stable environment.

"I hope this decree revision will help patients obtain prompt and adequate relief while creating a stable treatment environment for medical personnel," Kwak Soon-heon, director general for health-care policy, said. "We will also carry out follow-up measures under the May amendment to the Medical Dispute Mediation Act without disruption to reduce medical staff's civil and criminal burden," he added.