Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong's Continuous Nursing Act Efforts... 'Hunger Strike' Nursing Assistant Association President Transferred to Hospital (Comprehensive)

Emergency Situation Inspection Meeting Held
On-site Trends Identified and Countermeasures Discussed

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong continued his efforts related to the Nursing Act even on the weekend of the 30th. That afternoon, he visited Kwak Ji-yeon, president of the Korean Association of Nursing Assistants, who had begun a hunger strike opposing the enactment of the Nursing Act, urging her to stop the strike and recover her health. He also held an emergency situation inspection meeting to assess trends in the medical field and discuss response measures. Since the Nursing Act was passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 27th, Minister Cho has been mediating conflicts within the health and medical sectors and working to minimize confusion on the ground.

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong is checking on Kwak Ji-yeon, President of the Korean Assistant Nurses Association, who was transferred to the hospital during a hunger strike on the 30th.
[Photo by Ministry of Health and Welfare]

During the meeting with President Kwak, Minister Cho said, "It is regrettable that there has been no consultation even among nursing personnel regarding the Nursing Act, shaking trust and cooperation between professional groups." He added, "Health is important to fulfill the role of nursing assistants, who are the first to meet patients when they are ill. Please stop the hunger strike and take care of your health." He also emphasized, "The regulation that sets an upper limit on the educational level of nursing assistants must be improved." President Kwak was transported to the hospital by ambulance at the urging of Minister Cho and a doctor present at the scene.

Minister Cho then convened the emergency situation inspection team to hold the 2nd emergency situation inspection meeting, checking the trends of strikes and work stoppages related to health and medical organizations, and reviewing medical service measures and cooperation systems with related agencies. Earlier, when the health and medical sectors opposing the enactment of the Nursing Act announced a general strike, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued a ‘concern’ level health and medical disaster crisis alert and decided to prepare measures to minimize inconvenience to the public’s medical use through ▲ understanding the situation at medical sites ▲ confirming whether there is any medical service gap ▲ establishing an organic cooperation system with related agencies.

At the 2nd meeting that day, they checked the trends in the medical community and the operation status of medical institutions, analyzed potential crisis situations that could arise from future strikes by medical workers and work stoppages at medical institutions, and discussed emergency medical service measures to respond accordingly. Minister Cho said, "The highest priority value must be the health and safety of the people," and urged, "Please promptly implement proactive and active measures to prevent any inconvenience to the public, such as disruptions in medical services caused by gaps in the medical field."

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong is presiding over an emergency situation inspection meeting on the afternoon of the 30th.
[Photo by Ministry of Health and Welfare]

The day before, Minister Cho visited Seoul Nursing Home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to listen to the difficulties faced by nursing personnel and care workers and to check whether nursing and care services at nursing facilities were being carried out smoothly after the enactment of the Nursing Act. Seoul Nursing Home is a facility directly operated by the National Health Insurance Service, employing 7 nurses, 5 nursing assistants, 7 social workers, 4 physical therapists, and 77 care workers, providing long-term care services.

Minister Cho stated, "Organic cooperation among various professions such as care workers, nurses, nursing assistants, and social workers is important for the comfortable elderly life and health of seniors who need medical and nursing services," and added, "Although there are concerns about confusion in the medical and care fields following the passage of the Nursing Act in the National Assembly, all professions will trust and cooperate with each other under the goal of public health." He particularly emphasized, "It is very important to establish a care and nursing system to properly care for our parents, and the fundamental method for this is innovation through reform of the Medical Service Act; the enactment of the Nursing Act is not the optimal solution."

Additionally, on the 28th, Minister Cho visited the Emergency Medical Center at Yonsei University Severance Hospital to inspect the medical field, continuing his broad activities related to the Nursing Act after its passage in the plenary session. His direct efforts to appease the health and medical sectors and actively express opposition to the enactment of the Nursing Act are interpreted as moves to minimize confusion in the medical field.