The government is considering introducing a medical practice license for general practitioners who lack independent clinical capabilities.
On the 20th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated in a briefing on the progress of medical reform, "We are reviewing the introduction of a medical practice license (tentative name) in connection with strengthening clinical training," and added, "We will also reasonably set the scope of work between professional fields to enhance collaboration."
According to the Ministry, the proportion of doctors who start working as general practitioners immediately after obtaining their medical license increased from about 12% in 2013 to about 16% in 2021. This means that cases of starting medical practice immediately after graduating from medical school and passing the national medical examination without a separate training process have increased.
However, if the medical practice license is introduced, doctors will need to undergo additional training such as internships after obtaining their medical qualification before they can practice independently.
A Ministry of Health and Welfare official explained, "The licensing system established at the time of the Medical Service Act has continued, but it was insufficient to guarantee independent clinical capabilities," and added, "Residents were often perceived not as opportunities for growth as doctors but as cheap labor, leading to excessive workload concentration and difficulties focusing on training."
Along with this, the Ministry plans to establish a communication foundation between patients and medical staff by legislating explanations regarding medical accidents to secure a safety net for medical accidents. Furthermore, the Ministry intends to completely innovate the medical dispute mediation system as a future dispute resolution mechanism, introduce a special law on medical accident handling, and realistically compensate for unavoidable delivery accidents.
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