On Increasing Medical School Quotas... Unresolved Differences Between Government and Medical Association

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th, during a discussion on the issue of expanding medical school quotas, differences in stance between the government and the Korea Medical Association (KMA) were once again revealed.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the KMA held the 19th Medical Issues Consultative Body meeting at 4 p.m. at the Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul. This was the first meeting between the government and the KMA since the KMA announced on the 26th its opposition to the government's plan to expand medical school quotas, stating it would not hesitate to go on a total strike.

At the consultative body meeting, opinions between the Ministry and the KMA remained at a stalemate. The KMA criticized the demand survey results announced by the Ministry, while the Ministry raised its voice, urging not to engage in collective actions that would jeopardize the lives of the people.

Yang Dong-ho, head of the KMA negotiation team, stated in his opening remarks, "Given the poor educational conditions where students and professors are already continuing medical education in an unstable environment, the demand survey, which inflates the current number by 3 to 4 times, is neither fair nor objective."

He added, "Many doctors are expressing outrage that the government broke the medical agreement and brutally trampled on the trust of the medical community," and pointed out, "Before discussing the expansion of medical school quotas, concrete measures and a roadmap must first be established to ensure doctors can be channeled into essential and regional medical care."

In response, Jeong Gyeong-sil, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, expressed regret, saying, "We regret that discussions could not proceed properly due to the KMA's withdrawal at last week's meeting."

She continued, "The top priority for both the government and medical organizations is the protection of the people's lives and health. Under no circumstances can collective actions that put the health and lives of the people at risk be justified."

The Ministry stated that regarding the issue of expanding medical school quotas, it intends to listen not only to the KMA but also to patients in essential medical fields, medical consumers, and local residents. In response, the KMA has consistently argued that the issue of medical school quotas should be discussed within the consultative body, citing the 2020 'September 4 Medical Agreement'.