Active Emergency Medical Care and Compensation Measures Prepared
Dispatch of Public Health Doctors and Military Medical Officers
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting regarding the medical professionals' collective action at the Government Seoul Office Building on the afternoon of the 3rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Presidential Office is preparing practical compensation measures to prevent burnout among professors and nurses who are replacing residents that collectively resigned in opposition to the increase in medical school quotas. As the departure of residents causes medical service gaps, the government is also considering support measures if the hospitals actively hire professors and others.
A senior official from the Presidential Office said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 3rd, "We earnestly ask residents to stay by patients' sides so that the public does not suffer," adding, "If personnel continue to leave, we will prepare emergency medical services and compensation measures."
The official pointed out, "The part where many departures actually occur is among residents undergoing training at hospitals, and currently, due to their departure, medical practices are not being properly conducted," and added, "The structure where hospitals rely on residents for operation is problematic."
The official said, "If hospitals face difficulties due to residents leaving, they should resolve the issue through hiring," and "Hospitals need to devise ways to expand and supplement personnel who can actually replace them."
The government is also actively working on measures to fill the medical service gaps. Severe patient admissions and surgeries will be handled by tertiary hospitals, while mild patient care will be divided among general hospitals. Legal protections will be established so that Physician Assistant (PA) nurses can perform their duties with peace of mind. Public health doctors and military medical officers will be actively dispatched to medical institutions to respond to the medical service gaps.
Presidential Office: "Dialogue with the Medical Association is not possible... Please form a representative organization"
On the afternoon of the 3rd, a nationwide doctors' general rally is being held near Yeouidaero next to Yeouido Park in Seoul to oppose the increase in medical school quotas and the essential medical package. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The medical community was urged to promptly form a representative organization to engage in dialogue. A senior official from the Presidential Office said, "The government hopes that a representative organization will gather the medical community's opinions rather than relying on a specific group," adding, "There are several medical organizations, but the atmosphere is such that no dialogue is happening at all."
He continued, "Dialogue based on collective action cannot be established," and said, "Please stop collective actions and return to the medical field. If proposals are made through a representative dialogue channel, the government will immediately make efforts."
Earlier, on the 28th of last month, the Presidential Office requested, "The Medical Association claims to represent the medical community, but it is somewhat difficult to have true representation," and asked, "Please propose members with representation who have gathered consensus within the medical community."
The Presidential Office also plans to proceed with administrative sanctions against residents who have not returned as scheduled. A Presidential Office official said, "The government plans to send advance notices of a 3-month license suspension to residents who have not returned starting from the 4th," and added, "There is no change in the plan to proceed with the 3-month license suspension as a principle."
On the same day, the Medical Association held a nationwide doctors' rally at 2 p.m. in Yeouido Park, Seoul, to urge the government to reconsider the increase in medical school quotas and the essential medical package. In response, a Presidential Office official said, "The current plan to increase medical personnel is inevitable," and added, "If this is a task that someone must do someday for our future and children, then the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is doing it now," indicating no change in the commitment to medical reform.
"Plan to increase medical personnel is inevitable... Focused placement of medical schools outside the metropolitan area"
Additionally, Sung Tae-yoon, Director of Policy at the Presidential Office, appeared on MBN's 'Sisa Special' and reaffirmed the government's firm stance on increasing medical school quotas by 2,000 students. Director Sung explained, "Considering demographic changes by 2035, an additional 10,000 personnel are needed, and to bring medically underserved areas to the national average level, an additional 5,000 are required," adding, "We are in a situation where about 3,000 personnel need to be trained annually."
He also said that once the application for medical school student quotas from 40 universities nationwide closes on the 4th, the quotas for each medical school will be finalized based on the applications. In particular, Director Sung emphasized the necessity of increasing medical school quotas, saying, "We plan to concentrate placements in medical schools outside the metropolitan area," and "There are 17 medical schools with fewer than 50 students, and it is difficult to provide smooth education with fewer than 50 students."
He once again urged residents to return to the medical field. Addressing residents who have not returned, Director Sung said, "We inevitably have to proceed with procedures according to laws and principles," and asked, "Please stand with the people."
Director Sung responded to opposition parties' claims that President Yoon Seok-yeol's public livelihood forums are "pre-election campaigning," saying, "There is usually a report to the relevant ministries at the beginning of the year, but we changed it to a public livelihood forum to increase dialogue with the people," and added, "This process is completely unrelated to political matters."
He added, "We are discussing policy topics, so issues that were not addressed in the past are being handled through collaboration among various ministries," and "We are also planning a public livelihood forum to review the previous forums."
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