"Government Driving Korean Healthcare to 'Mutual Destruction'... 49 Senior Professors' Political Declaration"

"Stop Increasing Medical School Quotas and Establish Rational Measures"

Forty-nine senior professors inside and outside the medical community urged the government to halt the increase in medical school admissions, claiming that it is driving Korean healthcare to mutual destruction.

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, as emergency room operations are facing disruptions at hospitals nationwide, a notice regarding the suspension of adult outpatient services once a week was installed on the 5th at the Regional Emergency Medical Center of Ewha Mokdong Hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In a statement on the 5th, they expressed "deep concern over the ongoing medical crisis lasting more than six months" and stated, "The medical reform currently being pursued by the government is pushing Korean healthcare toward the path of 'mutual destruction.'"

They appealed to the government, saying, "Stop the reckless increase in medical school quotas and establish reasonable measures for the future of Korea," adding, "That is the most fundamental duty to protect the lives of the people."

The professors diagnosed that "Increasing medical school admissions alone cannot solve the essential and regional medical issues," and explained, "The shortage of doctors in rural areas is due to population decline and patients' preference for large metropolitan hospitals."

They further stated, "Patients visiting multiple hospitals for emergency care is not simply due to a lack of doctors but stems from complex issues such as liability in medical disputes," and added, "Improving the medical dispute system and making medical compensation more realistic can resolve this."

They also pointed out that medical schools and training hospitals were unprepared for the sudden increase in admissions, and that the government's decision-making lacked transparency. They said, "The increase in medical school admissions proceeded without sufficiently reflecting the opinions of medical school professors and students," warning, "There is a risk that education involving lives may be neglected, and a decline in educational quality could threaten public health."

They emphasized, "The attempt to increase medical school quotas lacked legal, institutional, and procedural legitimacy," and stated, "Important policies to protect the right to life were not carried out transparently."

Moreover, they added, "The current medical crisis is not simply a doctors' strike but a result of medical students and residents, disappointed by the government's illegal and coercive policies, giving up their education to become doctors and specialists," and said, "There needs to be justification so that those who will be responsible for the future of Korean healthcare can return."

The statement on the current situation included the names of 49 emeritus professors from major universities such as Seoul National University, and as of 2:30 p.m. that day, 841 people including professors from major hospitals and the general public had joined.