“Establishing a Medical School in Changwon Special City Is Essential” ... 2nd National Assembly Forum Held

Local National Assembly Members, Gyeongnam Province, and City Co-Host
Over 200 Participants Including Experts and Changwon Citizens

Mayor Hong Nampyo: "The Region Faces Population Decline Concerns,
We Will Definitely Achieve Medical School At

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam held a National Assembly forum on the afternoon of the 1st at the National Assembly Members' Office Building Seminar Room 3 to publicize the nationwide necessity of establishing a medical school in Changwon Special City.

The forum was co-hosted by National Assembly members Kim Young-sun, Kang Ki-yoon, Yoon Han-hong, Lee Dal-gon, and Choi Hyung-doo, along with Gyeongsangnam-do Province and Changwon Special City. It was jointly organized by the province, city, Gyeongnam Public Health Medical Support Group, and the Changwon Special City Medical School Attraction Citizens' Promotion Committee.

Performing at the National Assembly forum on the establishment of the College of Medicine in Changwon Special City.

The forum began with the announcement of the "Joint Petition Urging the Establishment of a Medical School in the Changwon Area of Gyeongnam" by five Changwon-area National Assembly members and a hand placard performance bearing slogans such as "Establish Changwon Medical School" and "The Wish of 1.04 Million Citizens." About 200 people attended, including Park Wan-soo, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, various experts, and citizens of Changwon.

Following the government's recent announcement on "expanding essential regional medical personnel," Gyeongnam Province and Changwon Special City have requested the government to establish a medical school with a capacity of over 100 students in Changwon Special City, the only metropolitan city with a population over one million outside the metropolitan area that currently lacks a medical school.

Currently, Changwon has no medical education institutions, including medical schools, dental schools, Korean medicine schools, or pharmacy schools. Even if a medical school is established, it will take more than 10 years to produce doctors who can work in the field, making the establishment of a medical school in Changwon an urgent matter.

The forum, which conveyed this atmosphere, was a place where high interest in the establishment of a medical school in Changwon was confirmed more than ever. In particular, experts who participated as presenters and discussants unanimously emphasized that establishing a medical school in Changwon is essential to prevent the collapse of regional healthcare.

At the forum, the first presenter, Oh Young-ho, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, introduced "The Outlook and Policy Directions for Doctor Supply and Demand in Korea," stating, "Even under the most conservative scenario, a shortage of medical personnel ranging from at least 7,646 to as many as 12,968 doctors is expected by 2030," and added, "It is judged that the supply of medical personnel in Korea should be increased significantly in the mid to long term, setting the target to maintain the OECD country average level."

In the second presentation, Kim Young-soo, Director of Public Health Projects at Changwon Gyeongsang National University Hospital, explained the realities of Changwon's medical care, including ▲absence of a regional trauma center ▲absence of a mental emergency care institution ▲emergency rooms capable of 24-hour pediatric care for a small number of patients ▲most mid-to-large general hospitals failing to meet their staffing quotas, and continued, "Stable doctor training through the establishment of a medical school is the most urgent and important measure to resolve regional medical imbalances."

Mayor Hong said, "Most medical facilities and personnel in South Korea are concentrated in the metropolitan area, and regions face the reality of worrying about population extinction," adding, "We will make every effort to attract the medical school to Changwon Special City, a 30-year-long wish of 1.04 million Changwon citizens, to improve the quality of regional medical services and to lead the convergence of aviation, port, railway logistics industries, and the medical bio industry, making Changwon the center of South Korea's future new industries."