응급실 전문의 당직제도의 도덕성 논쟁-찬반 입장의 논증 평가를 중심으로

In 2010 a four-year-old child with intussusception died after failing to receive treatment at the emergency care unit of Kyungpook University Hospital. In August 2012 the Ministry of Health & Welfare implemented the revised Enforcement Decree of Emergency Medical Service Act. According to the law, all emergency medical facilities must have specialist physicians on duty for all treatment areas. Hospitals that do not abide by the law are subject to a financial penalty, and the concerned specialists can receive a license suspension for a maximum period of two months. While patients have welcomed this new law, the Korean Medical Association insists that it exploits specialists and threatens people’s right to life. This article examines the ethical issues involved in the dispute over the night duty system for specialists at emergency care facilities.