"Medical Education to Receive Investment Comparable to Defense and Public Security Levels"
The government expressed regret over the collective strike by the Emergency Response Committee (ERC) of Yonsei University College of Medicine professors and requested resolving the issue through dialogue.
On the 27th, Kim Guk-il, Director of Health and Medical Policy, stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) briefing on doctors' collective action, "The ERC of Yonsei University College of Medicine announced that they will begin a collective strike starting today," adding, "Following the ERC of Seoul National University College of Medicine suspending their strike, and the ERCs of Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine and Catholic University College of Medicine also postponing their strikes, it is very regrettable that a collective strike is being enforced again at major hospitals in the metropolitan area."
He continued, "Since the medical community has expressed willingness to participate in the medical-government consultation by forming a 'Special Committee for Proper Medical Care,' we request that instead of collective action, open and sincere discussions take place in a dialogue setting."
Earlier, the ERC of Yonsei University College of Medicine announced through a resolution that they would begin an indefinite strike starting on the 27th.
They also declared a bold commitment to invest in medical education. Director Kim said, "We will make bold investments at the level of national defense and public security to ensure the quality of medical education does not decline," adding, "We are currently investigating the facility and faculty needs of universities where medical school quotas have increased, and once the feasibility and necessity assessments for each school are completed, we will establish an annual investment plan and reflect it in next year's budget proposal."
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