Former Presidents of the Resident Association: "Increasing Medical School Quotas Is Not a Solution to Improve Resident Working Conditions"

Joint Statement by 15 Former Presidents of Daejeon Association

The former presidents of the Korean Intern Resident Association (Daejeonhyeop) issued a joint statement condemning the government, stating that the expansion of medical school quotas is not a measure to improve the treatment of residents.

List of former presidents of the Korean Intern Resident Association who issued a joint statement. [Image source=Korean Medical Association]

Fifteen former presidents of Daejeonhyeop announced this on the 29th through a letter titled "A Letter to Residents and the Government." They explained the reason for the collective resignation of residents as "excessively harsh working conditions, wages that do not compensate for this, civil and criminal risks, and the loss of any hope for the future."

They continued, "The government claims that the reason you have no choice but to leave the workplace you entered with dreams is due to a shortage of total doctors. And they say that increasing medical school quotas is necessary for you." They added, "However, we know that increasing medical school quotas cannot improve our bleak reality."

They also pointed out that the government should not infringe on the basic rights of residents. They said, "The government states that because residents are workers engaged in essential medical services, they cannot be guaranteed the three labor rights, nor even the constitutional basic right to freedom of occupational choice," adding, "While saving lives is noble, that work cannot be forced beyond an individual's free will."

To the residents, they advised, "If you renew your contract with the hospital for any reason, you must be guaranteed fair value for your labor along with institutional measures to improve it," and "You should demand the guarantee of the three labor rights as medical workers and the establishment of medical labor policies."

Regarding the government, they said, "It is reasonable to view the government as the true employer of medical workers under the current compulsory (mandatory) designation system for medical institutions," and demanded, "The government should not issue orders to medical workers that violate constitutional values but should immediately allocate finances appropriately to protect the people's right to life." The mandatory designation system requires hospitals to treat patients enrolled in health insurance and receive only the government-set fees.

Finally, they urged, "The fee increases the government talks about are for hospitals, not compensation for medical workers who pour their body and soul into their work," and called for "immediate and continuous realization of appropriate compensation along with the resolution of judicial risks to prevent medical workers from leaving the field."