The Korean Medical Association Holds 'Nursing Act Protest Rally'... "A Law That Destroys the Healthcare System"

On the 15th, at the Seoul Medical Association Hall, Lee Pil-su, president of the Korean Medical Association, and other officials attending the "National Doctors' Representatives Rally Condemning the Nursing Act" demanded the withdrawal of the Nursing Act legislation.
[Photo by Korean Medical Association]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Korean Medical Association (KMA) has once again made clear its stance to condemn the National Assembly's movement to enact the Nursing Act and to block it until the end.

On the afternoon of the 15th, the KMA held the "National Doctors' Representatives Rally to Condemn the Nursing Act" at the Seoul Medical Association Hall and made these claims.

KMA President Lee Pil-soo criticized in his opening speech, "The standalone Nursing Act is an irrational law that harms public health and destroys the healthcare system by separating nursing from medical care, making it exist as a segmented and independent work area."

President Lee continued, "The Nursing Act only talks about improving the treatment of the nursing profession. It only mentions benefits for nurses," adding, "Although it is said that parts of concern to the medical community were adjusted and excluded through bipartisan agreement, we can never accept it."

He further stated, "The 140,000 doctors strongly condemn the wrong Nursing Act that thoroughly neglects the lives and health of the people and destroys the order of healthcare, and clearly declare that the enactment of the Nursing Act is absolutely unacceptable."

Kim Dong-seok, president of the Korean Association of Private Practitioners, also argued, "Korean healthcare is still in a precarious situation due to the unresolved COVID-19 crisis," and said, "At such a critical time, the Nursing Act, which breaks the framework of medical care, disregards the licensing system, and fosters conflicts between professions, must be immediately abolished."

Earlier, the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee's Bill Review Subcommittee 1 passed the Nursing Act bill, which includes provisions on improving nurses' treatment and scope of work. The KMA has consistently opposed the enactment of the Nursing Act itself, which extracts only the nurse-related regulations from the Medical Service Act to create a separate law.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.