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On Thursday, the Daegu Medical Association urged the government to engage in sincere dialogue to resolve its conflict with the medical community at its board of representatives’ general assembly. (KBR photo)
A municipal medical association has urged the medical community to talk with the government as the pressure on medical students peaked over the expulsion of students on leave of absence.
Some physicians said that even if the government-doctor conflict coincides with President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, the medical community should not wait for the political landscape to change.
Kim Seok-joon
Kim Seok-joon
“The Korean Medical Association (KMA) should have a dialog with the government to resolve the essential healthcare policy package issue. The KMA should try its best to get the government to accept the demands of medical students and trainee doctors,” said Kim Seok-joon, chairman of the Daegu Medical Association’s board of representatives at its general assembly on Thursday. “It should also provide justification for them to return to work.”
“I have no doubt that the KMA’s executive board will devote all of its capabilities to the daunting task of convincing the government to make the right policy,” Kim said. “If all KMA members unite around its leadership and do their best, they can solve any difficulties. All members of the Daegu Medical Association should also look in the same direction and move forward.”
Min Bok-ki, president of the Daegu Medical Association, said there should be a “Plan B” for healthcare policy and medical education.
Min Bok-ki
Min Bok-ki
“Many medical students seem to be waiting for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. However, we need to prepare alternatives now for what to do if the outcome (of the impeachment trial) differs from the outcome that medical students expect. However, now is the time for everyone to put their heads together and discuss alternatives,” Min said
If scrapping the essential healthcare policy package, which is one of the medical students' demands, is difficult, the medical community needs to work with the government to find out what needs to be fixed and supplemented and fix it quickly, Min said. He added that it is also important to ensure the independence of the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation and the Medical Manpower Supply and Demand Committee.
Min emphasized that the overlapping 2024, 2025, and 2026 classes’ education should be resolved by considering the number of trainee doctors for each major.
“The question is whether the 5.5-year system proposed by the Ministry of Education will guarantee quota for trainee majors in five to six years. Medical students are also concerned about this issue,” Min said. “I think it would be a realistic way to implement the 5.5-year system within five years, or to make the third and fourth years of medical school more densely packed so that they come out every six months, and to increase the number of trainee doctors by about 3,000 within one to two years.”
Min also pointed out the trust issues not only between the government and the medical community but also within the medical community.
“There is a lack of trust between the government and the National Assembly and within the medical profession. The government must establish a more transparent medical governance. Only then can the public and the medical community cooperate (with the government). The medical community should realize that unity and action are the way out of the crisis. We should open our hearts to each other a little more,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed in a resolution adopted by the Daegu Medical Association.
In the resolution, the association urged the government to “immediately withdraw the unscientific policy of increasing the number of medical school students and completely review it from the beginning.”
“The government should enter into sincere discussions with the medical association to revive essential and local medicine,” it said.
The statement continued, “We will stand with medical students until the end. If even one medical student is unfairly penalized in their righteous struggle against injustice, we will all rise. We will mobilize all the means and capabilities law allows to fight back strongly.”
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Koh Jung Min jmk02@docdocdoc.co.kr
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