Another Stalemate Between Government and Medical Association Over Medical School Quota Expansion Issue

Medical Issue Consultative Body [Image source=Yonhap News]

The government and the medical community once again reached a stalemate over the issue of expanding medical school quotas.

On the 20th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Medical Association held the 22nd Medical Issues Consultative Body meeting at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, to discuss medical issues including the increase in medical school quotas.

At the meeting, the Ministry of Health and Welfare cited the results of a public opinion survey on medical school quotas released by the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union on the 17th. Jeong Gyeong-sil, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry, stated, "(According to this survey) 89% of the public support increasing medical school quotas," and criticized, "The KMA questions how such a significant policy like increasing the number of doctors can be decided based on public opinion, but if it is not following the will of the people, then what are they following?"

She also reiterated that various policy packages are being promoted alongside the push to expand medical school quotas to address the collapse of essential medical services. Director Jeong emphasized, "Today, the amendment to the 'Act on Improving the Training Environment and Status of Residents' passed the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, establishing a legal basis for improving the training environment in essential medical departments."

Yang Dong-ho, head of the KMA negotiation team, said, "If there were general problems with medical access in our country, then increasing the number of doctors would be necessary, but issues are occurring in specific areas such as pediatrics and emergency medicine," adding, "This should be seen not as a shortage of doctors but as a policy failure in special essential medical fields."

The 23rd Medical Issues Consultative Body meeting will be held on the 27th. It will conduct a comprehensive discussion on the essential medical policy package, including the direction of expanding medical school quotas, and review the license management improvement plan proposed by the KMA.