[Nursing Act War]② Contribution to Public Health vs Benefits for Specific Professions... Extreme Differences in Perspectives

On the 9th of last month, the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee decided to refer the Nursing Act bill directly to the plenary session. Since no further agreement has been reached between the ruling and opposition parties, it is expected that the decision on whether to refer the bill to the plenary session will soon be made through a vote. As the ruling Democratic Party of Korea led the decision for direct referral, it is highly likely that the bill will be referred to and passed by the plenary session. Although there is a variable in the form of a presidential veto, the Nursing Act lacks symbolic significance compared to laws like the Grain Management Act, and President Yoon Suk-yeol promised to promote the enactment of the Nursing Act during his presidential campaign, so political circles expect the possibility of an actual veto to be low.

In this situation, the healthcare sector is sharply divided over support and opposition to the Nursing Act. Opposition to the Nursing Act is led by the Korea Medical Association. Recently, the Medical Association launched an emergency countermeasure committee in response to the movement to enact the Nursing Act. Upon launching the emergency committee, the Medical Association also expressed a willingness to go as far as a 'general strike.' Along with the Medical Association, the Health and Welfare Medical Solidarity, which includes 13 professional organizations such as the Korea Association of Licensed Practical Nurses, has been holding daily solo protests and mass rallies to amplify their opposition voices.

The Health, Welfare, and Medical Solidarity held a general rally on the 26th of last month in Yeouido, Seoul, condemning the forced passage of the Nursing Act.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The main reason they oppose the enactment of the Nursing Act is the concern that it could disrupt the current medical system. Unlike the current Medical Service Act, which is systematically maintained by various professions protecting the medical field, having a separate Nursing Act would give preferential treatment to the specific profession of nurses, potentially causing conflicts between professions and infringing on the public's right to health. There is also criticism that demands for separate laws by each profession could lead to confusion in the current healthcare system. Kwak Ji-yeon, president of the Korea Association of Licensed Practical Nurses, pointed out, “The Nursing Act is an act that shakes the foundation of the healthcare system, which has been safely operated under the current Medical Service Act,” adding, “It changes the basic framework of medical care that has been maintained for years and could potentially cause great confusion and collapse of the medical system.”

Conversely, the Korean Nurses Association recently decided at its general assembly to form a 'Nursing Act Promotion Team' as a body to realize the enactment of the Nursing Act. With a change in the association's leadership, they intend to continue their efforts to enact the Nursing Act. The Korean Nurses Association also held a 'thank you relay' in front of the district offices of Democratic Party lawmakers from the Health and Welfare Committee who led the decision to refer the Nursing Act bill directly to the National Assembly plenary session. Kim Young-kyung, president of the Korean Nurses Association, emphasized, “We will form the Nursing Act Promotion Team to ensure that the work for the enactment of the Nursing Act continues without interruption,” and added, “We will definitely realize the enactment of the Nursing Act, a livelihood bill for public health and patient safety.”

This stark division within the healthcare sector is becoming a burden for the government. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which has been negotiating with the medical community to implement essential medical support measures, is cautious about the enactment of the Nursing Act. In fact, with the suspension of medical-government consultations, discussions on urgent issues such as the legalization of telemedicine and the increase of medical school quotas have stalled. Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong responded to related inquiries in the National Assembly by saying, “I hope we can discuss a bit more,” and added, “Because it involves completely changing the current Medical Service Act system.”