"Government Shifts Responsibility to Residents and Demonizes Them"
A group of medical school professors urged the government to change its stance. They explained that since the government is not accepting the demands of residents while forcibly pushing for an increase in medical school admissions, residents and medical students cannot return. They repeatedly emphasized that if the government is concerned about the future of Korean healthcare, it must stop the process of increasing medical school quotas, as it is shifting responsibility onto residents and demonizing them.
On the 24th, the Emergency Committee of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide (Jeon-ui-bi) held a press conference at Ulsan University College of Medicine in Songpa-gu, Seoul, stating, "Despite no changes in the demands of residents, the government is strongly insisting that the increase in medical school admissions 'can never change,' placing harsh conditions and blaming residents for not engaging in dialogue, thereby demonizing them. Since the government’s attitude has not changed, residents and medical students cannot return to the medical field."
Jeon-ui-bi pointed out, "The government has repeatedly announced that medical education will not deteriorate, but looking at the process of allocating medical school quotas, it is clear that doctors with proper medical skills cannot be trained."
They added, "When the government conducted a survey of desired quotas by university last November, the increase in medical school admissions was excessively estimated based on the university presidents’ intentions. The government only investigated the educational conditions such as personnel, facilities, and equipment in early April this year." They further criticized, "If the increase in medical school admissions was truly prepared over a long period as the government claims, it should have first confirmed the educational conditions through thorough inspections of university personnel, facilities, and equipment at least one year in advance."
Jeon-ui-bi stated, "Although the collapse of regional and essential healthcare in Korea is happening this year, the government is recklessly implementing unreasonable and dangerous policies to complete the increase in medical school quotas and suppress the medical community. They have issued guidelines forbidding leaves of absence or academic probation, while encouraging various loopholes under the name of 'flexible academic management' at universities." They demanded, "Is it right to prevent students from taking academic probation through various loopholes? They should be allowed to take leaves of absence even now."
Jeon-ui-bi also said, "The government has not withdrawn various orders regarding residents nor accepted their resignation letters. Since the government’s attitude has not changed, residents and students cannot return to the medical field."
They also criticized the court’s ruling that increasing medical school admissions is necessary for public welfare.
Jeon-ui-bi argued, "The court made a contradictory judgment that an unscientific policy aligns with public welfare. It is unrealistic to judge that forcibly pushing the medical school admission increase policy, which will only produce results after 10 years, is in the public interest."
They concluded, "Now, professors are preparing for a difficult time without students and residents. We earnestly appeal to the government to stop the process of increasing medical school admissions even now."
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