Government: "Resident doctors who left must return by today, within 3 months"

"Partial Adjustment of Additional Training Period Possible
When Providing Justification for Unavoidable Reasons Such as Sick Leave"

The government urged residents, who have been absent for three months as of the 20th, to return by this day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated in his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting regarding the doctors' collective action, "According to training-related laws, residents must return to their training hospitals by the time they have been absent for three months in order to obtain their specialist qualifications next year."

Minister Cho said, "Although there are individual differences, residents who have been absent since February 19 must return by today, which marks three months," adding, "If there are unavoidable reasons such as sick leave, there is some room for adjustment of additional training periods by providing explanations to the training hospital."

He continued, "Since this can have a significant impact on each individual's career path, please return to the hospital promptly and engage in training to avoid any disadvantages," and added, "Medical students should also return to school so as not to waste their valuable learning time."

To medical school professors who had announced a one-week strike if the medical school quota was confirmed, he appealed, "Please refrain from collective action, understanding the desperate feelings of patients whose lives are at stake and their families."

The government also requested the medical community to engage in dialogue on this day.

Minister Cho said, "The medical community should not demand conditions such as a complete reconsideration or total cancellation, which are not aligned with public expectations and are impossible to realize, but should come to the table for dialogue," adding, "The government is ready to engage in dialogue at any time without restrictions on format or agenda."

The government plans to promptly finalize the 2025 academic year admission plan to prevent further confusion in next year's university entrance exams, based on the judiciary's judgment.

Minister Cho stated, "Along with the confirmation of the increase in medical school quotas, the government will focus its capabilities on improving educational conditions," and added, "We will prepare a plan to advance medical education to create educational conditions at the level of advanced countries." He also noted, "At the financial strategy meeting chaired by the President on the 17th, ministries agreed to establish a special account for essential medical care and a regional medical development fund to expand essential medical services."

Regarding the Medical Reform Special Committee, he explained, "The four specialized subcommittees under the Special Committee are now fully operational," and said, "The government will operate the Special Committee and the specialized subcommittees intensively to thoroughly review reform tasks."

This week, the Special Committee plans to hold meetings of the 'Essential Medical Care and Fair Compensation Specialized Subcommittee' and the 'Medical Workforce Specialized Subcommittee' to discuss improvements in fees for essential medical services and the training environment for residents.