Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 402

403. It Is Indeed a Violation of the Medical Law

“If you keep resisting like that, I’m going to sue you for violating the medical law with your home visit.”

At Tae-kyung’s firm response, Madam Go’s eyes narrowed, and she even threatened to sue, embarrassing her son and daughter-in-law.

“Mother! What are you saying right now?”

“Now, now! Everyone, calm down.”

The police officer, seeing the situation, tried to mediate and calm things down.

“Police officer, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. This person here is a doctor. What my mother said about endangering her granddaughter is not true.”

“Your mother came to the precinct earlier, saying that some man was endangering her granddaughter. She was so urgent… From our perspective, when we hear something like that, we have to come and check it out, so we appreciate your cooperation.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The police officer, who had been listening to the conversation, also realized that Madam Go’s words were not true.

“So, the person who reported this is your mother, and these two are your son and daughter-in-law?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And this doctor here is…?”

“My name is Kim Tae-kyung, and I’m a doctor.”

“May I ask where you work?”

“I work at Woori Hospital in Yeoul-dong.”

“Woori Hospital in Yeoul-dong, Kim Tae…? Oh!”

“What’s wrong, Sergeant?”

The junior officer, who came with him, asked why the officer writing down Tae-kyung’s information had stopped.

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that the director of Woori Hospital? Right?”

“That’s correct.”

“That’s him! I thought I recognized you. I didn’t recognize you because you weren’t wearing your gown.”

The senior officer recognized Tae-kyung and was pleased.

“My wife wasn’t feeling well, so we went to the emergency room early in the morning, and the director treated her then. There were so many patients that day, so I couldn’t properly thank you, but you explained everything kindly. Thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

“You’re a person of confirmed identity, but I need to check for the record.”

“Of course.”

“Okay, the identity check is complete. I heard earlier that there seems to be a lack of communication within the family, but anyway, what your mother said isn’t true, right?”

The police officer looked at Lee Jae-san and confirmed once again, as it needed to be recorded.

“No, it’s really not true. My mother doesn’t like going to the hospital, so I directly asked the director to treat my daughter, and that’s why the director came to our house. He came all this way because of us, and I don’t know what to do now that this has happened.”

“This director is truly a great doctor. No matter how sick you are, who comes to treat you in person? The director is really amazing.”

“It was nothing.”

“Anyway, ma’am, clear up the misunderstanding and try to resolve things through conversation with your family next time.”

“Yes, I’m sorry for making you come all this way with such a trivial matter.”

“Don’t mention it. This is what we do. Well, we’ll be going now.”

“Wait a minute! You’re just leaving like this? Without an investigation?”

Madam Go, who had been standing with her arms crossed, stopped the police officers as they were about to leave.

“I told you earlier, this person did a home visit. If he’s a doctor with a confirmed identity, you’re just going to leave like that? Is it because the police officer received treatment from him?”

“No. It’s not that, but how can we investigate someone who hasn’t done anything wrong?”

“Why hasn’t he done anything wrong? Just because he’s a doctor, you’re going to turn a blind eye to his mistakes? He violated the medical law!”

“Mother! Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Excuse me, may I ask what I did wrong?”

Tae-kyung stepped forward, unable to watch the increasingly loud voices.

“You’re a doctor, right?”

“Yes, the two police officers here have verified my identity, and I believe you saw that as well.”

“Yes, I saw it. If you’re a doctor, you know very well that you’re supposed to provide treatment only within a medical institution, right? Isn’t it a violation of the medical law for a doctor to come to a private residence for a home visit?”

Madam Go, who hated hospitals, even knew the medical law that ordinary people didn’t know.

Whether she found it herself or heard it from someone, Madam Go’s words were not wrong.

“Ah! That’s right, Sergeant. She’s right.”

The junior officer quickly spoke, having found the medical law on his phone.

“According to Article 33 of the Medical Law, a medical professional cannot engage in medical practice without establishing a medical institution under this law, and must engage in medical practice within that medical institution, except in any of the following cases.”

“See? I’m right, aren’t I? So, take that person away and investigate him.”

“What should we do, Sergeant?”

“…”

The senior officer hesitated to make a decision in response to his junior’s question.

Of course, providing medical services through home visits, or so-called ‘wangjin’ [a Korean term for house call], in a place other than a medical institution is indeed a violation of the medical law if strictly scrutinized.

However, in this case, it was ambiguous to simply take Tae-kyung to the precinct.

It didn’t feel right to invoke the medical law against someone who came specifically for a sick child.

There had been such cases before.

There was a story about an elderly doctor who went around treating patients who couldn’t go to the hospital for various reasons.

He even regularly treated people in poor environments without anyone asking him to.

However, none of the neighbors accused the doctor of violating the medical law; rather, he even appeared on TV and eventually received a prestigious citizen award.

The senior officer wondered what the difference was between that elderly doctor and Tae-kyung.

They were both doctors with good intentions who were trying to help patients in need, and he didn’t want to invoke the law in such a situation.

“What should we do, Sergeant?”

“I’ll try to talk it out.”

The two officers, who were seriously contemplating, decided to try to resolve the situation through conversation with Madam Go.

“What’s taking so long? Just take that person away.”

“No. I cannot go with you. Officer?”

Tae-kyung approached the two officers as Madam Go raised her voice again at the officers exchanging opinions.

“Yes, Director.”

“I am not in violation of the medical law.”

“Really?”

“Not a violation! That’s a lie.”

Unlike the police officer who showed a change in expression, Tae-kyung looked at Madam Go and continued to speak as she stepped forward to refute.

“In the latter part of Article 33 of the Medical Law that the police officer mentioned earlier, it says, ‘…except in any of the following cases, must engage in medical practice within that medical institution.’ Is that correct?”

“Yes, Director, that’s accurate.”

“Then, let me tell you about the following cases mentioned here.”

Tae-kyung began to list the medical laws regarding home visits accurately and in detail.

“First, when treating emergency patients according to Article 2, Clause 1 of the Emergency Medical Care Act. Second, when providing treatment at the request of the patient or the patient’s guardian. Third, when requested by the head of the state or local government, recognizing it as necessary for public interest. Fourth, when providing home nursing care as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Fifth, in other cases specifically stipulated by this law or other laws, or when there is an unavoidable reason to provide treatment at the scene where the patient is located.”

Everyone focused on Tae-kyung as he spoke fluently, as if reading from a book.

“The child on the second floor is an emergency patient and requires treatment accordingly. Therefore, it falls under the first case mentioned earlier. Also, I came for a home visit at the request of the guardian, Lee Jae-san, the child’s father, so this also falls under the second case. I also have evidence recorded here.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Tae-kyung clicked on a recording file saved on his phone.

-Director. Thank you for coming all the way to our house to treat my daughter.

-Do you acknowledge that I am here for a home visit at the request of the guardian?

-Of course. I, Lee Jae-san, hereby inform you that Director Kim Tae-kyung was requested by me to visit our home to treat my daughter.”

There was no more accurate and definitive evidence than this.

The conversation between the two was recorded just before Tae-kyung entered the house, while talking with Lee Jae-san.

Tae-kyung had heard several times that his mother-in-law was strongly opposed, so he recorded it just in case.

There had been cases where patients requested home visits but were later sued by family members who were not the patients.

Before leaving the hospital, both Doctor Eui-jin and nurse Lim Jeong-sook had expressed concern, but he already had a plan.

Lee Jae-san’s recording was a kind of safety measure in case of an emergency, and Tae-kyung’s prediction was correct.

“The director came at my request. He’s the one who willingly helped me without showing any displeasure when I went to him for help.”

“Very perfect. Very perfect.”

No matter how well Madam Go thought she knew, she couldn’t compare to a doctor.

It was useless against Tae-kyung, who was known as a genius even among doctors, not just an ordinary doctor.

“Ma’am, did you hear that too? Your son said that he asked him to come to the house with difficulty. As a result of listening to the recorded evidence, there is no reason for any violation by the director. No objections, right?”

“…”

Madam Go, who was trying to show off in front of an expert, couldn’t easily open her mouth in front of Tae-kyung, who was refuting her point by point with facts.

Moreover, she had never even imagined that there would be a recording file.

“Well! Then, since there’s no more problem, we’ll be going now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing. I hope the child recovers quickly. And although it’s not my place to say this, since I’m not involved, please get the child treated as soon as possible. It’s hard for adults when they’re sick, let alone a child.”

“Yes, officer. Thank you. Goodbye.”

The police officers left, and Lee Jae-san approached Madam Go, who was sitting on the sofa with a distressed expression.

“Mother. Jin is not doing well. Her condition seems to be worse than we thought.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? I know it too.”

“This isn’t something we should be fighting about. The director here said he would help, so let’s leave Jin in his care.”

Madam Go, who was listening to Lee Jae-san, continued with a very aggrieved expression.

“You’re making me out to be a very strange person. When did I say not to treat Jin?”

“I’m also a mother. I know best what a parent’s heart is like when their child is sick. Jin’s treatment? Of course, we have to do it. When did I say not to treat her? I didn’t, did I? Just don’t go to the hospital and treat her.”

“Are you really saying that now?”

“Why can’t I say that? The human body has self-healing abilities. If you don’t believe me, read a book in the study. There are many people who have cured diseases without going to the hospital, not only in Korea but also abroad.”

“Mother. That’s because it’s not a serious illness.”

“I’m telling you it’s not! Why are you suddenly so desperate to take Jin to the hospital when you’ve been quiet all this time?”

“Until now, I thought that was the right thing to do, but I realized that I was wrong. I have to correct it now.”

“There’s nothing wrong, so what are you correcting! What if Jin ends up like San [referring to a deceased family member]? Are you going to let Jin die too?”

“…Ah!”

“I went to a famous fortune teller this time, and they said that if you go to the hospital this year, something bad will happen to the family. When I got angry and told them not to say such nonsense, they said that when San went to the hospital, there was also a bad energy, and this time that energy…”

“Mother! Please stop!”

Tae-kyung, who had been trying to suppress his anger because he was there, couldn’t hold back any longer and raised his voice as loud as he could.

“Jin’s grandmother?”

Tae-kyung, who had been listening to their conversation, called out to Madam Go.

“I’d like you to leave now.”

“No. I can’t do that.”

He fully understood the heartbreaking feeling of losing a beloved grandson, but Tae-kyung could no longer stand by and watch her excessive behavior.

“Do you love Jin?”

“What are you talking about? Is there anyone who hates their own granddaughter?”

“She will die.”

“What…did you say?”

“…!”

Lee Jae-san and Kim Yeon-joo, including Madam Go, stared at Tae-kyung with surprised expressions at the word ‘die’ that came out in a calm tone and accurate pronunciation that was almost frightening.

“I will make one thing clear here…”