Labor Unions Meeting Health Minister: "Medical Policy Agreement at a Dire Level... Terminate It"

Minister Park Neung-hoo Meets Labor Sector Amidst Unstarted Medical-Government Council, Urges Role
Health and Medical Labor Sector "Public Healthcare Policy Regression, Devastating... Broad Consultative Body Needed"

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo is attentively listening to the remarks of Na Sun-ja, Chairperson of the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union, at the health and medical field meeting held on the morning of the 8th at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] On the 8th, Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare, met with labor organizations in the healthcare sector to discuss recent issues. He urged the labor sector to actively participate in the government's upcoming policy initiatives, such as fostering regional healthcare. This is interpreted as an intention to reflect diverse voices beyond medical organizations in future medical-government consultative bodies, aiming to resolve conflicts that had arisen between the medical community and the government over healthcare policies.

On the same day, Minister Park met with Na Soon-ja, Chairperson of the Health and Medical Industry Labor Union, and Shin Seung-il, Chairperson of the National Federation of Medical Industry Labor Unions, at a hotel in Seoul. Minister Park said, "Although an agreement has been reached among the government, the Democratic Party, and medical organizations, several issues remain," adding, "For now, we must focus our efforts on overcoming COVID-19 and use this as a developmental period to present a better future vision for healthcare."

He continued, "The agreement with the Korean Medical Association was made under the common goal of protecting public health and advancing the healthcare system," and added, "Healthcare workers who stand by patients are also policy partners sharing the common goal of protecting public health and contributing to the development of healthcare." This was a subtle critique of the fact that some residents and doctors had stopped patient care due to strikes and collective sickouts.

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo (right) and Chairman Choi Dae-jip of the Korean Medical Association shake hands after signing an agreement to form a medical-government consultative body to discuss suspending the collective strike and expanding medical school quotas at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 4th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Minister Park Urges Labor Sector to Play an Active Role
Healthcare Labor Criticizes Medical-Government Agreement Head-On

The government and the medical community, which had been in conflict over healthcare policies, appeared to reconcile by issuing a joint agreement between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association on the 4th. Although some disagreements remain regarding the opposition from some residents and the national medical licensing exam for medical students, they share a broad consensus to form a consultative body to discuss healthcare policies going forward.

However, there are calls to establish a method to incorporate diverse opinions from labor groups and civic organizations, in addition to medical organizations and the government, during the formation of the consultative body. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the medical-government consultative body is planned to begin substantive discussions during the COVID-19 stabilization phase, so specific participating organizations have not yet been finalized.

Sohn Young-rae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained, "Many aspects of the medical-government consultations go beyond decisions that can be made solely by the medical community and the government and require social consensus," adding, "We intend to actively listen to various organizations' opinions and discuss together."

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo is speaking at the health and medical field meeting held on the morning of the 8th at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul.

Chairperson Na Soon-ja said, "It is regrettable that this meeting was held only after the (medical-government) negotiations were concluded," and added, "It is disheartening that, instead of establishing a long-term plan for future public health crises, even the minimum measures have been rolled back under the name of the medical-government agreement." She urged to nullify the agreement with the Korean Medical Association, form a healthcare development consultative body including the public and patient organizations, and prepare a systematic comprehensive plan for healthcare personnel overall.

Chairperson Shin Seung-il stated, "The medical-government agreement directly denies and undermines the tripartite agreement (which included expanding public healthcare infrastructure)," and criticized, "I fundamentally doubt whether the current government has the will to build public healthcare infrastructure." Regarding the restructuring of the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee demanded by the medical community, he also criticized, "It appears that the government and the Korean Medical Association, which is provider-oriented, intend to lead what should be a social compromise created jointly by labor, management, and government as a common norm."