Board of Audit says veterans hospitals can use outside doctors to fill specialist gaps

The Board of Audit and Inspection has ruled that outside clinic doctors can be brought in to fill specialist vacancies at regional veterans hospitals, clearing the way for national merit holders who urgently need dermatology, ophthalmology and urology care — including treatment for Agent Orange complications and age-related conditions — to receive stable medical support.

The board announced Thursday that it had issued a pre-consultation ruling on whether outside clinic doctors could be used when specialist positions at veterans hospitals are vacant, citing the case as a key example of proactive administration in the public sector.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans has provided medical services to national merit holders and other veterans-benefit recipients through six veterans hospitals nationwide operated by the Korea Veterans Health Service. As specialist shortages at regional facilities led to repeated suspension of certain services, the ministry began reviewing whether outside clinic doctors could be deployed.

Article 33, Paragraph 1 of the current Medical Service Act requires medical professionals to practice only within their registered institutions, but Subparagraph 3 allows an exception — permitting medical practice outside a registered institution when requested by the head of a national or local government body for public-interest reasons. The Ministry of Health and Welfare had been operating under an emergency care framework that restricted outside clinic doctors to essential specialties such as internal medicine, surgery and emergency medicine.

Veterans hospitals, however, face high demand for dermatology, ophthalmology and urology services to treat Agent Orange complications and conditions common among elderly male patients, and the care gap persisted because of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's narrow permitted scope. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans struggled to act, as it was unclear whether the minister qualified as "the state" under the relevant legal provision, and ultimately sought a pre-consultation ruling from the board.

After reviewing the relevant statutes and consulting the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the board acknowledged the minister's authority to request outside clinic doctors. It determined that, under Article 38 of the Government Organization Act, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans qualifies as "the state" under the Medical Service Act, as it is the administrative body responsible for veterans affairs.

The board stated in its pre-consultation opinion: "The Minister of Patriots and Veterans may, pursuant to Article 33, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3 of the Medical Service Act, request outside clinic doctors in specialties beyond essential care fields to practice at veterans hospitals until a specialist in the relevant field is hired."

The ruling is expected to end service suspensions in specific departments at regional veterans hospitals and allow national merit holders and other veterans-benefit recipients to receive continuous treatment across specialties beyond essential care fields. The board said it would "continue to preemptively resolve problems so that major national projects are not delayed and the public does not suffer harm due to uncertainty in laws, regulations and administrative rules."