20th Medical Issues Consultative Body Meeting Held
Official Discussion on Medical School Expansion for the First Time
Ministry of Health and Welfare on Doctors' Strike Vote: "Is It Premised on Negotiation Breakdown?"
Korean Medical Association: "Policy Should Not Be Decided by Public Opinion"
As the Korean Medical Association (KMA) announced a strike referendum and other strong measures, the government officially brought the issue of increasing medical school admissions to the negotiation table. Both sides reached a consensus on the need to alleviate the legal burden on medical staff in the event of medical accidents in essential medical fields.
On the afternoon of the 6th, Jeong Gyeong-sil, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated at the 20th Medical Issues Consultative Meeting held at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, "An important issue that must be discussed alongside the policy package is the expansion of the physician workforce," adding, "From today, we will discuss based on scientific evidence and statistics how many doctors will be needed in the mid-to-long term, and which fields and regions are experiencing shortages."
During the meeting, both sides engaged in a mild exchange of words regarding the KMA’s strike referendum. Earlier, on the 4th, the KMA held a meeting of the "Special Committee for Countermeasures of the Medical Community to Prevent the Collapse of Korean Healthcare (Beomdaeui)" and decided to conduct a nationwide strike referendum among all members starting from the 11th.
Director Jeong said, "I heard that the KMA plans to conduct a third vote among all members while the consultative body is actively discussing medical school expansion and the policy package," and expressed concern, saying, "As a party to the negotiations, I worry whether they are approaching the talks with the assumption of a breakdown."
On the other hand, the KMA rebutted that public opinion cannot serve as a basis for increasing medical school admissions. Yang Dong-ho, head of the KMA negotiation team, said, "The government cited the majority of the public wanting more doctors as one reason for increasing medical school admissions," adding, "I believe that important policies such as education and healthcare should not be decided solely based on public opinion. If a survey asked the public to reduce all their taxes, would the government do so?"
Yang added, "Doctors have very few ways to raise their voices against public authority," and urged, "We ask the government once again for cooperation so that doctors can fully perform their roles for the public and the nation in their rightful positions."
The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that during the meeting, both sides discussed the necessity of expanding the physician workforce based on scientific evidence and objective data. The consultative body plans to continue reviewing the issue of increasing medical school admissions in future meetings.
Measures to ease legal responsibility in the event of medical accidents in essential medical fields were also discussed at the consultative body. Both the Ministry and the KMA agreed on the need to balance reducing the legal burden on medical personnel with providing relief for patients, recognizing that medical accidents cause great suffering to both healthcare providers and patients.
Director Jeong said, "Doctors say the burden of civil and criminal lawsuits they must bear when medical accidents occur despite their best efforts to save patients’ lives is too great," adding, "We will discuss reasonable measures that consider both doctors and patients in a balanced manner." Yang said, "If medical staff have done their best to treat patients, they should not be held liable for unavoidable medical accidents," urging, "We must create a stable treatment environment where essential medical workers can devote themselves to patient care without other worries."
It is reported that the KMA proposed the "Special Act on Handling Medical Accidents in Essential Medical Fields (Medical Accident Special Act)" to the government during the consultative body meeting. The Medical Accident Special Act includes provisions to reduce legal liability, such as not applying prosecution rights to medical personnel when medical accidents causing death or injury occur in essential medical fields.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare decided that specific measures regarding the Medical Accident Special Act will be discussed in the "Medical Dispute System Improvement Consultative Body." This consultative body, which includes legal professionals, medical experts, and healthcare consumers, will work to devise countermeasures as soon as possible. A ministry official explained, "It is necessary to comprehensively consider various aspects such as the special nature of the medical field, communication with patients and compensation for damages, and relationships with other laws."
Meanwhile, at the 21st Medical Issues Consultative Meeting scheduled for the 13th, discussions will be held on improving working conditions for residents, including workforce management systems and principles for expanding the physician workforce based on data.
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