Women protest ministry’s ban on simultaneous use of childbirth pain meds
A backlash is coming from South Korea’s pregnant women over the Health Ministry’s decision not to allow the simultaneous use of epidurals and a continuous local anesthetic colloquially referred to as a “pain buster” here during childbirth.
The ministry has recently announced that pregnant women will no longer be able to use epidurals and pain busters at the same time when they give birth through Cesarean section, beginning July 1. A pain buster will only be allowed to be used in cases when an epidural can’t be administered, it said.
Pain busters are medical devices that deliver continuous local anesthetic, and are commonly used for post-operative care. In Korea they have often been used for pregnant women undergoing a Cesarean section, the most common method of delivery in Korea, which involves making a physical incision in the abdomen.
As the scheme faced heavy criticism from soon-to-be mothers, the ministry on Wednesday explained that the decision was made after reviewing a report written by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, which suggested that there was no significant difference in pain relief between using an epidural alone and using it with a pain buster.
The ministry added that it also collected opinions from various groups, such as the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists, that simultaneous use of the two drugs is only necessary for “severely ill patients” or “patients who can’t adequately manage their pain.”
The ministry denied reports that epidurals would be charged as a non-insured service, saying that the state’s National Health Insurance system would continue to cover them.