Medical Student Association President: "We Must Consider Who Is Behind Actions That Risk Patients' Lives"

On the afternoon of the 26th of last month, the first day of the medical sector's second general strike, a specialist held a picket protest at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] As the medical community continues collective sickouts and strikes in opposition to government policies such as expanding medical school quotas and establishing public medical schools, concerns over medical service gaps are growing. In this context, Cho Seung-hyun, president of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Graduate Schools Student Council, sharply criticized, saying, "We need to consider whether it is the residents who are acting at the expense of patients' lives or the ruling party-government-office coalition that unilaterally pushed the policy."

In an interview on June 1 with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' President Cho said, "We are people who are working hard to protect the health of the public, but we are currently in a state of deep helplessness."

He added, "When making medical policies, the most necessary thing is to first have estimates on how much, where, and in what way manpower and medical resources are lacking, and based on that, figures showing the need for personnel should be presented. However, there was a lack of such evidence."

He continued, "If you compare the number of outpatient visits per doctor, the number of doctors in our country is not particularly insufficient," and added, "If there really is a shortage, then increasing the quota is acceptable, and if there is low medical accessibility in certain regions, increasing the quota is also acceptable, but there is no clear logic for this."

Regarding criticisms that the opposition to expanding medical school quotas lacks logic, President Cho explained, "You might think that doctors and medical students oppose the increase in quotas itself, but that is not the case at all," and said, "It is not that we unilaterally oppose the increase; if the increase is based on reasonable estimates, there is no reason not to accept it."

About 93% of examinees scheduled to take the practical portion of the national medical licensing exam, which was to be held that day, gave up the test. On this, he said, "In a way, it can be seen as sacrificing a year to fight," and added, "Therefore, even while proposing and submitting medical bills directly related to patients' health and lives, the government proceeded with policies unilaterally without consultation or advice, and because it did not even listen to the medical community's last voices, students were driven to raise their voices as well."

He emphasized, "I believe doctors are not born but made," and said, "Because it is directly related to patients' lives under systematic medical education, it must be thoroughly managed."

He also said, "To produce doctors who require quality control, medical education must be sufficiently supported, but I do not think medical education is currently being conducted well," and predicted, "If the number increases further, the quality of medical education they receive will inevitably decline. Then, whether the government can continue to increase the kind of high-quality medical care it desires is uncertain."

Meanwhile, the government abruptly announced on May 31, one day before the start of the 85th national medical licensing exam practical test in 2021, that the exam would be postponed by one week.

Kim Kang-rip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said at an online briefing on the same day regarding the response to the residents' group medical refusal, "To minimize the damage to medical students, the practical portion of the national medical licensing exam scheduled for June 1 will be postponed by one week and held from June 8."

Following the decision to postpone the practical exam, the exam dates for candidates scheduled from September 1 to 18 will be adjusted to September 8 to 25.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.