Yoon: "Establishing a Reward System to Ensure Medical Professionals Feel Fulfillment... Please Trust the Government's Sincerity"

Visit to Seoul Medical Center and Central Emergency Medical Center
Amid Opposition to Medical School Expansion, "Hope Medical Professionals Do Not Misunderstand"

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center at Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, on the 13th and received an explanation about the center from Park Hyun-kyung, head of the Regional Emergency Medical Center at Seoul Medical Center (right).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 13th, "We will establish a compensation system that fairly rewards healthcare workers so they do not feel relatively disheartened and can feel a sense of fulfillment for their hard work. Please trust the government's sincerity and offer your full support."

On the morning of the same day, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, President Yoon visited Seoul Medical Center and the Central Emergency Medical Center to inspect emergency medical response situations and encourage the medical staff protecting the healthcare frontlines.

Upon arriving at Seoul Medical Center, President Yoon wore a mask before entering and toured the Regional Emergency Medical Center’s Citizen Empathy Emergency Room, resuscitation room, trauma treatment room, burn treatment room, critical patient area, and pediatric area together with Lee Hyun-seok, Director of Seoul Medical Center, and Park Hyun-kyung, Director of the Regional Emergency Medical Center. During the subsequent meeting with hospital officials, he listened to the challenges faced in emergency medical care and the hospital’s preparations for the upcoming Chuseok holiday.

President Yoon said, "Thanks to your cooperation, it is fortunate that many more hospitals and clinics will be open this Chuseok compared to previous years," and urged, "Please provide treatment according to the severity of cases." He also stated, "During the holiday period, health insurance fees have been significantly increased, and the consultation fee for specialists at the Regional Emergency Medical Center has been raised to 3.5 times the usual level," emphasizing, "The core of medical reform is to listen to the voices from all sectors of the medical community and ensure that those healthcare workers who endure more hardship and more difficult treatments receive greater compensation."

Yoon: "Medical Community, Please Freely Express Your Opinions"

Amid strong opposition to the increase in medical school admissions from the medical community, President Yoon remarked, "Education and healthcare are essential residential requirements for regional balanced development. Considering economic growth, population structure changes due to aging, and increasing medical demand, it will take considerable time to train the necessary healthcare professionals in the future." He added, "I hope medical professionals do not misunderstand that this is a minimal increase in personnel pursued based on scientific projections as part of a long-term plan," appealing, "Please trust the government's sincerity in improving the treatment of healthcare workers."

In particular, President Yoon said, "Our government plans not only to protect the lives and health of the people but also to improve the system that the medical community has been unable to resolve internally, ensuring it is used fairly and efficiently. Please freely express your opinions," and urged, "Please contact the Chief of Policy and the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs directly to convey your views."

Lee Hyun-seok, Director of Seoul Medical Center, suggested, "The emergency room is a gatekeeper, but smooth transition to follow-up care is not happening. Due to avoidance of essential medical departments and overload in follow-up departments, medical staff are leaving. Since the workload is heavy, it would be good to introduce incentives such as cost compensation to retain those leaving and attract new personnel." He also requested, "Seoul Medical Center faithfully fulfills its role as a public hospital, including operating pediatrics, resulting in accumulated deficits. I hope the government pays attention to the structural problems of public hospital deficits."

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center at Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul on the 13th, inspecting the center's interior while moving around with Lee Hyun-seok, Director of Seoul Medical Center, and Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Head Nurse Hwang Sun-sook said, "We are participating in a pilot project for Physician Assistants (PA) to address treatment gaps, but a system that provides sufficient legal protection is necessary," and expressed hope that "the PA system will be well established as soon as possible."

President Yoon explained, "Healthcare is a fundamental function of the state alongside security and public safety," and "the government is conducting medical reform as part of a long-term plan for regional balanced development." According to a written briefing by Presidential Office spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon, President Yoon said that although 10 trillion won will be invested over the next five years, nothing is more important than public health, so more funds will be invested if necessary.

President Yoon then moved to the Central Emergency Medical Center located in Jung-gu, Seoul. Designated in July 2001, the National Medical Center’s Central Emergency Medical Center coordinates and supports the medical duties of all emergency medical institutions nationwide. After hearing about the operation status of the emergency medical center, President Yoon visited the "Yoon Han-duk Hall," where the late Director Yoon Han-duk stayed until the end, and viewed photos and a portrait of him with officials while sharing stories.

Director Yoon led the Central Emergency Medical Center for 17 years from 2002, working to improve the emergency medical system by introducing doctor helicopters and establishing a national emergency medical network. Kim Sung-joong, Director of the Central Emergency Medical Center, said, "The signature on the portrait was written on his last working day with the message 'Be happy,'" to which President Yoon responded, "Seeing the office of someone who silently devoted himself to the lives and safety of the people left a deep impression on me."

"Previously Dependent Only on Existing Health Insurance... Now Bold Financial Investment"

President Yoon visited the Seoul-Incheon Metropolitan Emergency Medical Situation Room and the Central Emergency Medical Situation Room consecutively, encouraging the medical staff and employees who connect patients, paramedics, and hospitals in real time 24/7 and monitor the situation. When a red alert indicating difficulties in emergency medical response appeared on the emergency medical status board for the Busan area, President Yoon immediately instructed the Minister of Health and Welfare on site, saying, "Contact the Mayor of Busan to check if there are any difficulties."

During a meeting with hospital officials, President Yoon explained, "I heard that when Director Yoon Han-duk died in the line of duty in 2019, he had worked over 129 hours that week," and said, "Medical reform began from the urgent realization that our medical system cannot be sustained if doctors responsible for essential medical care endure overwork." He continued, "The government previously relied only on health insurance, but now we will boldly invest financial resources," promising, "We will ensure that specialists’ treatment does not worsen. A fair compensation system for the dedication of the medical community is necessary for the system to operate efficiently."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Furthermore, President Yoon mentioned that the number of hospitals open during this holiday has increased considering public anxiety and urged everyone to do their best to ensure smooth operation throughout the Chuseok holiday period.

Go Eun-sil, Director of Emergency Medical Policy, said, "Multifaceted efforts are needed to resolve the issue of emergency room refusal," adding, "We are educating paramedics to accurately assess severity on site and preparing regional transport guidelines."

Cha Myung-il, Director of the Central Emergency Medical Situation Room, suggested, "Nowadays, when receiving patients, I think about how much compensation I would have to pay if something goes wrong," and proposed, "Government support is needed so that doctors do not suffer from such vague fears when choosing essential medical departments."

Heo Seok-gon, Commissioner of the Fire Agency, said, "From September 11, we have designated a two-week emergency medical response period and will respond with full force," adding, "For very distant cases, we will actively deploy fire helicopters."

President Yoon instructed his aides, "Regarding judicial risks, the Financial Services Commission should develop a liability insurance system and expedite legal enactment and revision." The on-site visit was conducted with minimal personnel considering the inconvenience to patients and medical staff, accompanied by Presidential Office Chief of Policy Seong Tae-yoon and Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon, among other presidential aides.