"Medical Reform Steadily Pursued... Consultation on Military Service Issues for Returning Residents"

Minister Cho Kyu-hong, "Regretful about Medical Professors' 'Training Boycott'"
Essential Medical Compensation and Health Insurance Fee System Innovation Plan to be Announced Next Month

The government has finalized the recruitment of 7,645 residents for the second half of the year and is proceeding with the selection schedule until the end of this month. Regarding some hospitals and professors showing a 'training boycott' movement against the new residents, the government expressed regret and urged, "Please warmly welcome the residents returning to the medical field."

Jo Gyu-hong, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) for medical collective action (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the CDSCH meeting on the morning of the 23rd that a concrete roadmap for medical reform tasks, including legal amendments and financial investment plans, will be presented by the end of next month.

The Training Environment Evaluation Committee, a review body under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, confirmed and announced the recruitment of 7,645 residents for the second half of the year the day before. This number is 62 less than the 7,707 recruits announced by the Ministry on the 18th. Recruitment will continue until the 31st of this month, and after completing the selection procedures by training hospital next month, the second half of the training will begin in September.

Minister Jo said, "This year's second half recruitment does not apply the training exception rule that prohibits returning to the same specialty and same year within one year after resignation," adding, "For the residents returning this time, we plan to prepare measures in consultation with the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration to ensure that there is no disruption in continuing their training."

Minister Jo also addressed the 'training boycott' movement by some medical school professors who refuse to hire, educate, and guide residents for the second half of the year, saying, "It is very regrettable that medical school professors, who understand the difficulties of the medical field better than anyone, seem to be ignoring patients' anxiety and inconvenience." He added, "We expect wise mentors and seniors who will continuously persuade the resigned residents to return and warmly welcome the residents who have courageously come back to the medical field."

The government views this as a time to focus more on genuine medical reform desired by the public and the medical field as the recruitment of residents for the second half proceeds. Earlier, the Medical Reform Special Committee, launched in April, held a total of five plenary sessions and 31 expert committee meetings and decided to prepare an innovative training system plan by the end of August that reduces excessive working hours for residents while sufficiently enhancing clinical competencies. They are also preparing structural transformation and delivery system normalization plans so that tertiary hospitals focus on treating severe, emergency, and rare diseases and operate centered on skilled personnel such as specialists.

Plans for fair and sufficient compensation for essential medical care such as severe and high-difficulty treatments and innovations in the health insurance fee system will also be announced. Backed by bold financial investment plans, the government aims to swiftly implement practical reforms that can be felt on the ground, along with prompt and sufficient patient rights relief measures and balanced medical accident safety net establishment plans.

Minister Jo emphasized, "If we do not change the current medical system, which has continued as a custom amid the great era transition of ultra-low birthrate and ultra-aged society, the imbalance problems by medical field and region will accelerate, leading to an irreversible situation." He added, "We will do our best to present a desirable medical system blueprint where severe cases are treated in large hospitals and mild cases in local clinics so that citizens can reliably receive the necessary medical care anywhere."