Ruling Party and Government "Supporting Operation of 8,000 Neighborhood Clinics During Chuseok Holiday... Also Reducing Legal Burden on Medical Staff"

Reduced Working Hours, Expanded Training Allowance...Improved Treatment for Residents
Active Support to Become Respected Local Doctors Growing in the Region
Ruling and Opposition Parties Jointly Encourage Launch of Inter-Parliamentary Consultative Body Before Chuseok

The People Power Party and the government will support over 8,000 local clinics and hospitals to remain open during the Chuseok holiday to prevent medical service gaps during the holiday period. The party and government also announced plans to improve the essential medical system, including legislation to reduce the legal burden on medical personnel.

Handonghun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party-government consultation meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th to improve the regional and essential medical system. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Kim Sang-hoon, the Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, announced these details on the 12th after concluding the "Party-Government Council for Improving the Regional Essential Medical System." To this end, the party and government agreed to provide health insurance fees to medical institutions, including emergency rooms, that remain open during the Chuseok holiday. Approximately 400 new doctors and nurses will be newly hired with national funding to ensure emergency medical centers can secure necessary personnel.

The party and government also decided to promptly advance the Medical Accident Handling Special Act to reduce the excessive legal burden on medical staff, which has been identified as a major reason for avoiding essential critical care. However, they will also work on improving the medical dispute system to protect the rights of patients in case of medical accidents.

They plan to innovatively improve the training environment for residents. They discussed expanding the pilot project currently implemented by the government to shorten continuous working hours and advancing the institutionalization of reduced working hours. Chair Kim emphasized, "In February, the revision of the Resident Act laid the legal foundation to reduce working hours for residents in training," and added, "The party and government will review whether additional support is needed by considering the return status of residents, the pilot project situation, and reflecting the opinions of the medical community and residents." Besides this, they will also consider strengthening measures to improve residents' treatment, such as expanding the payment of training allowances.

The party and government will also work to improve medical education conditions to cultivate essential regional doctors suited to local circumstances. Chair Kim explained, "We will consolidate government-wide capabilities to nurture essential regional doctors," and added, "Based on the RISE system, a regionally led university support platform, we will actively support students who grew up in the region to gain quality education and training, accumulate sufficient experience in regional medical fields, and grow into respected regional doctors."

The party and government also agreed to jointly encourage the participation of the medical community in the bipartisan parliamentary council. Chair Kim stated, "We will make every effort to launch the bipartisan parliamentary council by Chuseok if possible," and added, "Although it may not meet all the expectations of the opposition party, we believe that medical institutions and organizations that share the will to prevent the current medical service gap, train medical personnel, and improve the essential medical system are prepared."