“Talked with Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, about the overall medical issues in Korea”Lee Jae-myung “People’s inconvenience due to medical gap… Urged the government to take a forward-looking attitude”
Park Dan, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association. 2024.8.21 News 1Park Dan, the emergency response committee chairman of the Korean Intern Residents Association (KIRA), said on the 26th, “Next spring, residents and students will not return to hospitals and schools, respectively,” and “The increase must be withdrawn starting in 2025.”
According to the Democratic Party of Korea and Chairman Park, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and Chairman Park met at a location in Seoul that day and had a meeting for 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is reported that the two sides discussed solutions to the current medical crisis and overall problems with the domestic medical system. This meeting was proposed by the Democratic Party.
After the meeting, Chairman Park wrote on his Facebook page, “I plan to communicate with the Democratic Party often in the future,” and “I conveyed to them what the residents’ demands are, such as improving the treatment of residents and abolishing the order to start work, how firm they are, and what problems will arise in the future.”
Meanwhile, he said, “(Going forward) I have no intention of participating in the ruling and opposition party consultative body, and the seven demands of the Daejeon Medical Association remain unchanged,” and “Next spring, residents and students will not return to hospitals and schools, respectively. (After the increase) It is impossible to educate 7,500 people. The increase must be withdrawn starting in 2025.”
Cho Seung-rae, the Democratic Party’s senior spokesperson, also said in a written briefing that day, “Representative Lee agreed that we must discuss all possibilities related to the 2025 medical school admissions quota while keeping it open.” He added that he also urged the government to take a forward-looking stance as the public inconveniences caused by the medical gap continue.
Cho added, “Representative Lee and Chairperson Park agreed to continue communication in the future to find a solution to the medical crisis.” Also present at the meeting were Park Ju-min, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party’s Special Committee on Medical Crisis Countermeasures, and Kang Chung-hee, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party’s Special Committee on Health and Medical Care.
Since February, the Korean Medical Association has been demanding the following: △Complete cancellation of the essential medical care package and an increase of 2,000 medical school students; △Establishment of a doctor supply and demand estimation organization; △Expansion of the hiring of specialists at training hospitals; △Easing the burden of force majeure medical accidents; △Improvement of the training environment for residents; △Complete withdrawal and apology of unfair orders; △Abolition of the order to start work. The Korean Medical Association, a medical group, and the Korean Association of Medical Schools and Graduate Schools (KAMC), a medical school presidents’ group, recently announced their positions on participating in the “Ruling and Opposition Party Council,” raising speculations that the dialogue is underway. However, there has been no additional participation from the medical community. On the 22nd, Park Byung-ho, the emergency response committee chairperson of the Korean Medical School and Graduate Schools Student Association (KMA), along with Son Jeong-ho, Kim Seo-young, and Jo Joo-shin, said, “We have no intention of participating in a council that is nothing more than a facade.”