Korean Medicine Doctors: "Doctors Must Be Strictly Punished... 30,000 Korean Medicine Doctors Are Ready to Provide Treatment"

Korean Medicine Association: "Korean Medicine Doctors Will Fill the Medical Gap"
"The Western Medicine Community Must Be Severely Punished for Holding the Public Hostage"

As resident doctors continue to leave their workplaces in protest against the government's plan to increase medical school admissions, the Korean Medicine Association (KMA) has declared that Korean medicine doctors will fill the medical gaps left by departing residents.

On the 27th, the KMA issued a statement titled "National Medical System Collapse Emergency... Deploy 30,000 Korean Medicine Doctors." The KMA urged, "The scope of practice for Korean medicine doctors and their participation in primary care (essential medical services) must be expanded to protect the health and lives of citizens who are trembling with anxiety," and sharply criticized, "How long will the government stand by and watch the irresponsible behavior of the medical community threatening a total strike, putting the precious health and lives of the people at risk?"

The KMA stated, "The medical community, forgetting even the basic qualities as healthcare professionals and trapped in a sense of privilege, is neglecting patients. Stronger disciplinary actions and punishments are necessary to prevent such reckless behavior from recurring," adding, "To alleviate the great inconvenience experienced by the public due to medical vacancies, restrictions on emergency medicines by category should be removed so that Korean medicine doctors, as medical professionals, can utilize them, and basic vaccinations should be allowed to be administered at Korean medicine clinics. Urgent measures are needed to lower unnecessary barriers between medical professions."

Furthermore, the KMA confirmed, "The government is also reviewing plans to adjust and expand the scope of practice for Korean medicine doctors and pharmacists," and urged, "We expect a swift decision, even if only a day earlier, to promote public health and protect lives." The KMA emphasized, "The 30,000 Korean medicine doctors are fully prepared to provide the best care to protect the health and lives of the people. The government must boldly expand the scope of Korean medicine doctors' duties and increase their participation in primary care to thoroughly cure the chronic ailments of South Korea's medical system," and added, "The government should no longer hesitate and must severely punish the medical community that has taken collective action by holding the public hostage, as a warning to others (Ilbeokbaekgye: punishing one person to warn a hundred)."

Meanwhile, the government has requested resident doctors to return to work by the 29th of this month, warning that from March onward, those who do not return will inevitably face license suspension and legal proceedings. On the 28th, the government and medical community reported that, based on inspections of 99 major training hospitals, as of 7 p.m. on the 26th, 9,909 residents had submitted resignation letters, accounting for approximately 80.6% of all residents. The number of those who left their workplaces was confirmed to be 8,939, about 72.7% of all residents.