Prime Minister Han Chairs Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Meeting... All-Government Full-Scale Response
Public Medical Services Operating at Maximum Capacity... Weekend Treatment Expanded
Four New Regional Emergency Situation Rooms Opened for Severe Patients
On the 23rd, as a medical crisis is becoming a reality due to the collective departure of residents, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is giving an opening remark at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting for the doctors' collective action held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@
The government raised the health and medical disaster crisis alert level to the highest, 'Severe,' starting at 8 a.m. on the 23rd in response to collective actions by medical professionals, including residents. It will extend weekday consultation hours at all public medical institutions to the maximum extent possible and expand weekend and holiday consultations. Additionally, four regional emergency control centers for critically ill patients will be newly established in early next month.
Prime Minister Han Deok-su chaired a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the Government Complex Seoul that morning and announced these response measures. Prime Minister Han said, "The collective actions of the medical community have intensified," adding, "The departure of residents from their workplaces is becoming prolonged, and medical students are continuing their strike and class refusals."
According to the government, as of the previous day, inspections of about 100 hospitals with the highest number of residents revealed that a total of approximately 8,900 residents submitted resignation letters, and among them, about 7,800 left their workplaces. The Korean Medical Association is also planning large-scale rallies in downtown areas this weekend and next weekend. Patient harm continues as well. A total of 189 reports have been received at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s damage report center, and the number is steadily increasing.
Prime Minister Han explained, "As of 8 a.m. today, the health and medical disaster alert level was raised to the highest crisis level, 'Severe,' and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters chaired by the Prime Minister was formed," adding, "Related ministries and 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide will enter a full government-wide response system."
On the 23rd, as a medical crisis is becoming a reality due to the collective departure of residents, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is making remarks regarding the escalation of the health care crisis level to "serious" at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on doctors' collective action held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@
First, the government will raise the operational level of public medical institutions to the maximum. It will extend weekday consultation hours at all public medical institutions to the fullest extent possible and expand weekend and holiday consultations. The 24-hour emergency room operation system will also be maintained.
In particular, four new regional emergency control centers that manage the transfer and referral of critically ill and emergency patients will be opened in early next month. The purpose is to intensively manage emergency patients so they can receive treatment within the golden hour.
Since residents and others continue to leave their workplaces, efforts will be made to reduce the burden on doctors and nurses who remain at hospitals caring for patients.
Prime Minister Han said, "To allow hospitals to hire temporary medical personnel, the fees for final treatment of critically ill and emergency patients have been doubled significantly," adding, "We will relax related regulations to enable flexible operation of hospital personnel."
The government is currently identifying the personnel needs of hospitals where essential treatments such as critical and emergency surgeries are delayed, and will support the shortage of personnel through public health doctors and military doctors. Institutions with affiliated hospitals, such as the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of National Defense, and local governments, have also been asked to temporarily hire substitute doctors such as external or senior doctors. The government will provide financial support.
Since medical service gaps are inevitable immediately, the government decided to fully expand non-face-to-face (telemedicine) consultations starting today. Prime Minister Han said, "Those with relatively mild symptoms are encouraged to use nearby hospitals and clinics that are operating normally, and local governments are requested to provide sufficient guidance so that patients can do so," adding, "The government will fully expand telemedicine starting today to make it easier for the public to receive general medical care."
The government reaffirmed its position that medical reform is inevitable despite ongoing collective actions by the medical community opposing the increase in medical school quotas.
Prime Minister Han said, "Baseless information and fake news distorting the truth and policies of the government's medical reform are being shared on the internet and social networking services (SNS)," urging, "Related ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Health and Welfare should do their utmost to explain the medical reform policies through various means so that the public can properly understand them."
Prime Minister Han also requested the medical community to return to hospital sites to prevent further harm to the public.
He said, "The collective actions of the medical community leave scars in the memories of the public and are acts that forget the noble mission as medical professionals," adding, "Especially, illegal collective actions are dangerous methods that can shatter the dreams of young doctors who aspire to become respected physicians."
He continued, "I sincerely hope that the results of the sweat shed over a long time will not disappear in an instant due to wrong choices, and that young doctors will not be pushed into such risks," and "I earnestly request that you return to the side of the people and patients before it is too late."
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