Launch within the Year Including Patients and Consumer Groups
Medical School Quotas Calculated Scientifically and Professionally
Established by Profession Including Nurses, Korean Medicine Doctors, Dentists, and Pharmacists
The government will launch the 'Human Resources Supply and Demand Estimation Committee' within this year as an organization to scientifically and professionally estimate the appropriate scale of medical personnel, including medical school quotas.
On the 30th, Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, held a briefing on the progress of medical reform at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "We will institutionalize the medical personnel supply and demand estimation and adjustment system to analyze the appropriate scale of medical personnel needed to respond to the rapidly increasing medical demand due to aging and to strengthen essential and regional medical care."
Through the supply and demand estimation and adjustment system, introduced for the first time in Korea, the government aims to scientifically and professionally estimate the appropriate scale of medical personnel considering mid- to long-term medical demand based on continuous data and accumulated know-how. At the same time, it plans to establish mechanisms to sufficiently hear the opinions of stakeholders during the discussion process to enhance the professionalism and acceptability of human resource policies.
Minister Cho explained, "Discussions will be conducted through the 'Human Resources Supply and Demand Estimation Committee' and 'Occupational Advisory Committees.' The Human Resources Supply and Demand Estimation Committee will be established separately for each occupation, including doctors, nurses, Korean medicine doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. However, this time, the committees for doctors and nurses, which are the target occupations for the first-year estimation, will be formed first."
The government plans to compose the Human Resources Supply and Demand Estimation Committee with a total of 13 members, with 7 experts recommended by supplier organizations for each occupation to form a majority. The remaining 6 members will consist of 3 experts recommended by patient groups and consumer organizations as demand-side representatives and 3 experts recommended by related research institutions. Recommendations for committee members will be accepted for three weeks from today until the 18th of next month, and after the appointment process, the committee aims to launch within this year. To support the practical work of the estimation, a 'Medical Personnel Supply and Demand Estimation Center' will be established within the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.
Minister Cho said, "If necessary, experts participating in the Human Resources Supply and Demand Estimation Committee can cross-verify the estimation models and methods discussed by the committee to ensure they have been properly applied." He added, "In the future, the estimation institution will be developed into an integrated human resource policy support specialized organization, referencing overseas cases such as the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)."
The final policy decision will be made through deliberation by the 'Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee,' the highest statutory decision-making body on health and medical policy. The estimation results and policy proposals from the Human Resources Supply and Demand Estimation Committee will be fully respected and maximally reflected in human resource policies by the Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee.
Minister Cho stated, "The government has reviewed the composition of the supply and demand estimation discussion body and discussion agenda with an open mind to find common ground with the medical community," and added, "We expect active participation from supplier organizations including medical associations, demand-side organizations, and related research institutions."
He continued, "Although the sense of trust has not yet been sufficiently restored, unlike past governments that relied on temporary measures, we are steadily and swiftly implementing various medical reform tasks one by one," and added, "Now is the time to end conflicts between the government and the medical community. We expect a decisive resolution from the medical community."
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