KMA: "This is not a matter for the association to 'do' or 'stop'"
Government: "To assess the scale of the strike and verify the appropriateness of reasons"
The government has issued a suspension notification order to private practitioners ahead of the collective strike scheduled for the 18th, while the medical community has expressed that this is unfair.
On the 11th, Chaedongyoung, Public Relations Director of the Korean Medical Association, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "The suspension notification order is unfair and should not be done," adding, "It is an absurd idea to impose a business suspension by telling doctors not to take a day off when they want to rest for just one day." He continued, "I do not think it is a matter for the association to tell members whether to report the suspension or not," but added, "The association will take the lead in protecting its members as much as possible, and I believe that members will participate as much as possible according to their own will and beliefs."
Earlier, on the 10th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare expressed concern over the medical community's collective strike during a briefing by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) and issued treatment orders and suspension notification orders to private practitioners. Jeon Byungwang, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "Each city and province will issue treatment orders to medical institutions under their jurisdiction based on Article 59, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Service Act, requiring them to provide treatment without suspension on the scheduled date of the collective action, June 18," and added, "Nevertheless, medical institutions intending to suspend treatment on that day must report by the 13th."
If the treatment order or suspension notification order is violated, the Ministry of Health and Welfare may impose administrative sanctions, including suspension of a medical license for up to one year. If administrative sanctions are repeated three times, license revocation is also possible. Private practitioners who violate the orders may also be reported to judicial authorities.
The government states that these orders were issued to grasp the scale of the suspension in advance and to verify the appropriateness of the reasons for the suspension. If the reasons for the suspension are deemed inappropriate, they may serve as grounds for future administrative sanctions. A Ministry of Health and Welfare official explained, "If you want to suspend treatment, there must be a valid reason for the suspension, so we intend to receive reports," adding, "It may not be 100% accurate, but it also serves the purpose of understanding the scale of the suspension in advance."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
