Surveillance or Crime Prevention ?

  I became concerned about medical accidents after I learned my friend suffered from an after- effect of plastic surgery. Mandatory installation of CCTVs in operating rooms can be a hot issue as the number of medical accidents increases. More than 200,000 people petitioned for the mandatory installation of CCTVs in operating rooms, but it was suspended due to opposition from the medical community. According to the Korean Medical Association, the reasons they disagreed with the installation of CCTVs are as follows:

  The first reason is the privacy violations of doctors and patients caused by video leakage. However, if it is a problem, all CCTVs in the emergency room should be removed. Also, to enhance the privacy, CCTVs should be strictly managed only for special purposes, such as investigations, trials, and dispute mediations. Secondly, they say CCTVs treat people as potential criminals. But what patients demands is not a surveillance camera, but for crime prevention. CCTVs in kindergartens and alleys do not treat teachers or residents as potential criminals. It is hard to understand their claim.

  The doctors association should take a forward-looking stance on CCTV installation and human rights protection in the operating room. No one can predict when, where, and how we can be victims of medical accidents. Therefore, I think the installation of CCTVs in operating rooms should be introduced.