Provincial Assembly Member Im Jong-gi: Establishing Suncheon National University College of Medicine Is a Justified and Timely Mission

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Jeong-gi Lim, a member of the Jeollanam-do Provincial Council (The Democratic Party, Suncheon 2), on the 15th at the 347th Jeollanam-do Provincial Council extraordinary session, posed sharp questions to Governor Kim Young-rok and the executive branch regarding public health care to strengthen essential severe medical care for the three major critical emergency patients (myocardial infarction, stroke, severe trauma) directly related to the lives and health of residents, as well as the establishment of medical infrastructure in the eastern region of Jeonnam, which is a medical blind spot.

Starting his provincial administration questions, Councilor Lim inquired about the comprehensive measures for the formation of essential medical regional and local consultative bodies promoted by the state, then conducted a detailed Q&A on the designation status and issues of various regional centers and the selection of regional responsible medical institutions for treating the three major critical emergency patients in Jeonnam, meticulously pointing out the shortcomings of the executive branch.

Councilor Lim also explained, “I understand that the concentration of various regional centers in the western region is an unavoidable choice made to focus functions in one place rather than dispersing them for medical efficiency,” and emphasized, “The reason Jeonnam has become a medical blind spot with the lowest survival rate for cardiac arrest patients stems from the absence of various regional centers for treating critical emergency patients in the eastern region, where nearly half, 46%, of Jeonnam’s population resides.”

Furthermore, he questioned plans to establish a regional cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease center and a regional trauma center for treating the three major critical emergency patients in the eastern medical blind spot of Jeonnam, strongly condemning the absence of a regional responsible medical institution, which serves as the control tower of public health care in Jeonnam, and proposed an alternative, stating, “Only establishing a medical school at Suncheon National University can treat critical emergency patients in the eastern region and solve the issue of selecting the regional responsible medical institution, the control tower of Jeonnam.”

He also asserted, “The reason the eastern region became a medical blind spot is that the state did not establish a medical school at Suncheon National University, resulting in residents of the eastern region being unable to reach hospitals within the golden time, leading to death or physical abnormalities. This constitutes a case where the basic rights of citizens were violated due to the non-exercise of public authority,” and ordered the Vice Governor to consider filing a constitutional complaint against the state.

In the following provincial administration questions, he asked Governor Kim Young-rok about plans to attract a medical school to Jeonnam, the only one among 17 metropolitan local governments without any medical school among the 40 medical schools nationwide, and said, “Like the old saying Ugong Isan (愚公移山), unless the eastern region of Jeonnam is moved to the Gwangju or western region, I believe the best way to eliminate medical disparities and escape the medical blind spot in the eastern region is to establish a medical school at Suncheon National University,” and asked, “What is your opinion, Governor?”

Finally, Councilor Lim emphasized, “The era of Article 10 of the Constitution, which emphasized human dignity, value, and the right to pursue happiness, began with the enactment of the Basic Health and Medical Services Act and the Public Health and Medical Services Act during President Kim Dae-jung’s administration, known as the government of the people, blossomed through President Roh Moo-hyun’s participatory government, and flourished with the revision of the aforementioned laws under President Moon Jae-in,” and stressed, “Now, the fruit must be borne in the form of a medical school.”

He also said, “President Moon Jae-in, in his August 15th commemorative speech, expressed the idea that the country exists not for the individual but to guarantee the individual’s dignified life. This is the era of Article 10 of the Constitution, where all citizens have the right to dignity, value, and the pursuit of happiness as human beings. This is the goal our government seeks to realize.”

Additionally, he concluded his provincial administration questions with a plea, saying, “The president believes that the most important thing is to reduce disparities and inequalities. Only when everyone prospers together can true liberation be achieved.”

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