Health ministry tightens criteria for top-tier hospitals to focus on severe care

The health ministry said Wednesday it has strengthened the designation criteria for top-tier general hospitals to ensure they concentrate their capabilities on treating patients with severe diseases and critical emergency conditions.

The revision aims to allow these institutions to focus their resources on severe and critically ill patients, the ministry stated in the rationale for the amendment.

Under the amended rules, the required proportion of inpatients belonging to specialized disease groups will rise from 34 percent to 38 percent, while the cap on outpatients with minor illnesses drops from 7 percent to 5 percent. The changes also incorporate emergency medical institution evaluation results into the standards for the first time.

Facilities must now demonstrate active acceptance of pediatric and critically ill emergency patients alongside improved intensive care unit capacity and negative pressure isolation rooms. When calculating nurse staffing levels, the formula will now convert 12 outpatients into the equivalent of one inpatient, a shift from the previous ratio of three outpatients per inpatient used for doctors. Additionally, new requirements mandate the placement of education-dedicated nurses as defined under the Nursing Act.

The Central Emergency Medical Center has been excluded from the list of institutions eligible for top-tier designation. While the changes take effect immediately upon promulgation on July 29, hospitals currently undergoing designation or re-designation may follow the previous patient composition ratios until December 31.