“In May, we will experience a Korea we have never experienced before”

Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association, warned, “In May, we will experience a Republic of Korea that we have never experienced before.”

Chairman Kim held a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 24th and said, “18,000 medical students from 40 medical schools across the country have disappeared for a year, and 12,000 residents from teaching hospitals across the country have not returned.”

He continued, “Teaching hospitals that have lost their focus on residents will maintain a reduced form of treatment with replacement staff, and there is a risk that some hospitals will go bankrupt and go bankrupt. “The damage to related industries is also visible,” he said.

Chairman Kim said, “If things go according to the government’s plan, medical schools across the country will have to start educating 8,000 first-year students next year, and they will study in an absurd educational environment for six years,” adding, “So far, no one has passed the medical school accreditation evaluation. He pointed out, “There will be a growing number of universities where students cannot apply for the national doctor exam, which will ultimately lead to a decrease, not an increase, in the number of doctors.”

He also said, “No new doctors will be produced next year,” and “This means that we will not be able to allocate the minimum number of people to become public health doctors, and if the already reduced public health workforce is further reduced, it will be difficult to support local and public health services, which are still insufficient.” “Even the minimum number of manpower cannot be supplied,” he said, adding, “This is the actual situation that will emerge as a result of the government’s current unreasonable quota policy that talks about essential healthcare, local healthcare, and public healthcare.”

The Medical Association Emergency Committee also criticized the government for calling the plan to reduce the number of seats by up to 50% in 2025 a concession.

Chairman Kim said, “I have heard comments from some public officials who are trying to shift responsibility to medical groups that do not accept the government’s concessions,” and added, “The solution to the problem starts with stopping unreasonable attempts to testify and starting a discussion by putting our heads together. “Please don’t make fun of my despair,” he said.

He continued, “The medical association emergency committee has made it a rule from the beginning not to participate in conversations that cannot lead to a conclusion, and we delivered an unchanging request,” adding, “Because it was not accepted, students majoring in the department were not able to come to the conversation table, and this led to the discussion.” He criticized, “It is absurd to say it is a rejection.”

At the same time, he appealed, “Please show the government’s minimum sincerity to lead to dialogue by at least withdrawing the unfair administrative order issued to medical residents and stopping the process of increasing the number of residents.”

In addition, the Korean Medical Association’s emergency committee drew a line in response to the President’s Office’s announcement the previous day that it had proposed a ‘5+4 consultative body’ to medical groups, but it had been rejected, saying, “We have never specifically received such a proposal.”

Park Min-soo, Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said regarding the ‘5+4 consultative body’ at a briefing held this morning at the headquarters of the Korean Medical Association, “The new executive branch has not yet been officially launched and the emergency committee is a party until the end of April, so we made a proposal to the medical association emergency committee.” did.

Kim Seong-geun, chairman of the Korean Medical Association’s Emergency Committee Public Relations Committee, said, “You seem to be good at coming up with names, but we have never proposed dialogue in that way,” adding, “We have not been contacted specifically by the government saying that anyone is coming.”

The Korean Medical Association’s Presidential Transition Committee also issued a press release on the same day and asked a public question, saying, “We have never received an offer,” and “To whom did the government make the offer, and to whom did it get rejected?”

Public Relations Committee Chairman Kim Seong-geun then said, “No matter what form it is, it is meaningless for people who do not have decision-making power to gather together and talk.”

Meanwhile, the emergency committee urged the president to make a decision. Chairman Kim said, “I think one day in our country is the same as 10 days in other countries,” and added, “I hope with the people that the remaining few days now given to us will be the time to solve the problem. “The decision must be made by the president,” he said.

(Seoul = News 1)