Promise to Reform the Association's Structure... "Young Doctors Will Be Directly Involved in Medical Community Alternatives"
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As the medical strike has entered a resolution phase with the suspension of collective action by the Korean Medical College and Medical School Student Association (의대협), Choi Dae-jip, president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), issued an apology and called for internal unity.
On the 13th, President Choi sent a letter to all KMA members, stating, "As the president of the KMA and as a senior doctor, I owe a great debt of gratitude to the young doctors and students during this struggle and negotiation process," and added, "I sincerely apologize once again through this letter."
He said, "The KMA fully respects the deep anguish and courageous decision of the students," and added, "Above all, through this struggle, we will respect the students and young doctors at the center of the medical community and improve the association’s structure to communicate with them carefully."
President Choi also stated, "We will support the permanent health policy monitoring body to be established together by the 의대협 and the National Medical College Professors Association," and said, "We will thoroughly monitor, pressure, and prepare to ensure that the agreement reached with the ruling party and government amid conflicts and wounds leads to tangible results and normalization of the medical system, and that the ruling party and government faithfully fulfill their promises. If the promises are not kept, we are prepared to take firm action again at any time."
He further said, "Regarding the 'four major evils' of medical policy?expansion of medical school quotas, establishment of public medical schools, coverage of herbal medicine, and telemedicine?we will prepare alternative proposals reflecting the voices of the medical community and field, propose countermeasures, and push for their implementation," adding, "Young doctors will be directly involved in this process."
Additionally, he announced preparations to address long-standing medical community issues such as improvement of regional and essential medical care, establishment of the medical delivery system, reform of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service structure, and improvement of training environments for residents. President Choi said, "To realize the core of essential medical care improvement, which is fee-for-service adjustment, we will collect opinions by specialty and organize priority items to propose to the government," and added, "To improve the relatively poor reality of regional medical care, we will introduce a regional differential fee system and prepare support measures to expand regional medical infrastructure so that doctors can willingly dedicate themselves to local communities."
President Choi repeatedly urged internal unity within the medical community. He emphasized, "Because there have been past precedents where the government escaped the burden of fulfilling promises due to our division, attempts to incite conflict and division within the medical community will continue in various ways," and stressed, "To overcome this, we must unite as one." He added, "I sincerely apologize and offer words of comfort once again to members and students who were emotionally hurt during this struggle and negotiation process."
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