Health and Medical Workers' Union Calls for Policy to Allocate Doctors Based on Essential Medical Services

As the government announced its plan for medical school expansion allocation, the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union (Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union) raised the need for social dialogue and thorough review.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is delivering a statement on medical reform and the allocation of 2,000 medical school quotas at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 20th. Attending the announcement were Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance; Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education; Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety; Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare; and Bang Ki-sun, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

On the 21st, the Health and Medical Workers' Union issued a statement calling the government's proposed medical reform plan dangerous and urged the establishment of a proper medical reform solution through a social dialogue body.

The union stated that the government's allocation plan "can be interpreted as a will to prevent gaps in essential regional medical services, regional medical imbalance, and regional extinction," but argued that "allocating the 2,000 additional medical school seats mainly to non-metropolitan universities and national universities does not solve the crisis of collapse in essential medical care, regional medical care, and public healthcare."

They added, "Even if the expansion of medical schools in metropolitan universities and national universities is significantly increased, there is no guarantee that the doctors produced will work in essential medical care, regional medical care, or public healthcare," emphasizing that "a proper medical reform solution must be prepared based on serious discussion and review within a social dialogue body involving various sectors of society."

The union proposed a package of policies including △ the introduction of a regional doctor system △ establishment of public medical schools △ strengthening of essential medical care compensation systems △ implementation of a clinic quota system (allocation system) △ control of non-reimbursable services and indemnity insurance △ reform of the fee-for-service payment system △ establishment of a medical delivery system △ and construction of a regionally comprehensive medical system.

Earlier, on the 20th, the government announced that out of the previously planned 2,000 additional medical school seats, 1,639 were allocated to non-metropolitan universities and 361 to metropolitan universities.