"Government to Push Forward Medical Reform Without Pause"
On the 22nd, the government responded to the medical community's demands for a "reconsideration of the medical school quota increase from the beginning or a one-year postponement," stating that these demands "do not meet the expectations of the public" and urged for "a unified alternative based on scientific evidence and rational discussion."
Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, held a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the medical strike at the Government Complex Sejong in the morning and said, "The government will continue to push forward medical reform to protect the lives and health of the people without pause."
Minister Cho addressed the medical community, saying, "Last Friday, the government made a decisive decision to accept the proposals from the presidents of national universities in order to find a breakthrough to resolve conflicts in the medical field," and added, "We hope the medical community will also accept these efforts by the government with an open mind."
He continued, "Rather than demanding a reconsideration from the beginning or a one-year postponement, which delays the urgent expansion of essential medical services and does not meet public expectations, we ask that you present a unified alternative based on scientific evidence and rational logic."
Regarding the government's medical reform, Minister Cho explained, "It is a difficult and challenging path, but it is one that must be taken to revive the collapsing essential and regional medical services," and added, "We will continue to push forward with medical reform without pause, while listening to reasonable opinions with an open mind and actively accepting them. We will also make every effort to maintain the emergency medical system to ensure that treatment for severe and emergency patients is not neglected."
On this day, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters discussed the "change in the temporary allowance of medical practices outside medical institutions."
On the 20th, the government had implemented a measure to relax restrictions under the Medical Service Act, allowing local governments to permit medical personnel to perform medical practices outside medical institutions if deemed necessary. From this day forward, the government will improve procedures so that medical practices outside medical institutions can be allowed even without local government approval if recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the scope of temporary allowance will be expanded from training hospitals to medical institutions at the hospital level or higher.
The government will officially launch the "Medical Reform Special Committee" to facilitate social discussions on medical reform tasks.
The committee will consist of a private sector chairperson, government members from six ministries, and 20 private members. The private members will include representatives from the medical community, consumer groups, and experts from various fields to ensure broad participation from all sectors.
Minister Cho said, "Through the committee, various sectors of society will present their opinions on major issues of medical reform, such as focused investment directions for essential medical services, and we will do our best to prepare rational alternatives through open discussions," and added, "We urge the Korean Medical Association and the Resident Doctors Association not to ignore the issue linked to the medical school quota but to participate in the Medical Reform Special Committee so that constructive and progressive discussions can take place."
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