'Medical Reform Special Committee Preparation TF' Operates from This Week
Non-returning Residents Account for 72% of Affiliated Residents
The government has initiated the license suspension process for over 7,000 resident doctors who have left their workplaces and urged those who have not returned to come back.
Park Min-su, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare[Image source=Yonhap News]
Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, announced this during a briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on doctors' collective action held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 4th.
According to the CDSCH, as of 11 a.m. on the 29th of last month, an inspection of 100 training hospitals found that 8,945 resident doctors had left their workplaces, accounting for 72% of the total residents. Only 565 residents have returned. Vice Minister Park said, "We are starting the license suspension procedures for about 7,000 residents who have left the workplace (considering those who returned over the weekend among all residents who left)." He added, "In reality, residents must return by the 29th of last month to avoid sanctions, but if they return before the on-site inspection begins today, this will be significantly taken into account when deciding on sanctions."
Vice Minister Park continued, "To the resident doctors who have not yet returned, I urge you to make the wise choice of returning to the patients as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, the government has decided to establish 'Emergency Response Emergency Medical Situation Rooms' in four regions to strengthen the role of control towers that connect emergency patients to appropriate medical institutions. Vice Minister Park said, "Starting today (the 4th), we will operate Emergency Response Emergency Medical Situation Rooms in four regions: Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, and Gwangju, to ensure emergency patients are quickly transferred to appropriate medical institutions and receive timely treatment." He added, "We will support the finances for hospitals to hire replacement personnel and promptly revise work guidelines so that medical support staff at the site can work with peace of mind."
The 'Task Force (TF) for Preparing the Special Committee on Medical Reform' will also begin operations this week. Vice Minister Park said, "While announcing the 'Four Major Medical Reform Policies,' we decided to promptly implement short-term tasks and discuss mid- to long-term tasks requiring structural institutional improvements at the 'Special Committee on Medical Reform.'" He added, "Since the Special Committee on Medical Reform is a presidential advisory committee and will take time to form, we will first establish a preparatory TF and plan to discuss medical reform tasks with a sense of urgency." He further explained that the TF will consist of government members from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and external advisory members.
Vice Minister Park stated that despite the government's warnings, resident doctors have not returned, but the medical system is being maintained. He said, "Admissions and surgeries at tertiary hospitals have decreased, but these mainly involve patients with mild to moderate conditions. Some patients have been transferred to other general hospitals and are being treated cooperatively." He also noted, "The number of mild patients visiting emergency rooms has decreased by about 30%."
Meanwhile, as of the 3rd, 5,387 medical students, accounting for 28.7% of all enrolled medical students, have applied for leave of absence. So far, no approval has been given for the 'alliance leave of absence.'
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
