KMA "Total Strike if Medical Law Amendment Passed" vs Government "Decision and Communication in National Assembly" (Summary)

Approval by the Judiciary Committee on the 25th... Concerns Over Vaccination Disruptions Amid Medical-Government Conflict

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The government and the Korean Medical Association (KMA) have once again clashed head-on over the amendment to the Medical Service Act. The KMA has threatened a general strike if the amendment is passed, while the government believes there will be no general strike and has expressed its intention to communicate going forward.

With COVID-19 vaccinations set to begin on the 26th, concerns are rising that the confrontation between the medical community and the government could disrupt the vaccination schedule. Although the vaccine supply in the first quarter is limited, from the second quarter onward, vaccine imports will increase significantly, making cooperation from medical personnel essential for smooth vaccinations.

The KMA indicated a tough response, stating that this issue is more serious than last year's direct confrontation over expanding medical school quotas and establishing public medical schools.

Choi Dae-jip: "Won't Cooperate with Vaccinations in Rotational Duty Format at Private Clinics"

On the 22nd, KMA President Choi Dae-jip told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "Since COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to 43.5 million people, cooperation from medical personnel is essential," adding, "If this bill is passed at the Legislative and Judiciary Committee, the final stage before the National Assembly plenary session, on the 25th, we plan to launch a general strike of doctors."

President Choi said, "A general strike means stopping medical treatment," and added, "If vaccinations are concentrated in the third quarter, support will have to be provided in a rotational duty format at private clinics, but if the bill passes, there will naturally be obstacles to cooperation."

He stated, "Doctors at clinic-level medical institutions would have to close their own clinics and work on a volunteer basis," and said, "If the efforts of doctors who have actively cooperated during the COVID-19 crisis are ignored and the licenses of doctors sentenced to imprisonment or higher are revoked, we cannot cooperate either."

President Choi's term expires at the end of April, and with six candidates all opposing the amendment running for the next KMA president next month, disruptions to future vaccinations seem inevitable.

Earlier, on the 19th, the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee approved an amendment to the Medical Service Act that allows the revocation of licenses of doctors sentenced to imprisonment or higher for serious crimes. The amendment, a merged bill proposed by Democratic Party lawmakers, will go to the Legislative and Judiciary Committee on the 25th.

On the same day, the KMA issued a press release expressing regret over the atmosphere that equates opposition to the amendment?which suspends or revokes licenses of doctors sentenced to imprisonment or higher?with condoning murder and sexual violence crimes.

The KMA stated, "The amendment expands the disqualification criteria for medical personnel from crimes related to medical practice to all crimes, which could lead to damages unrelated to the amendment's purpose of preventing illegal acts by medical personnel and establishing a safe medical environment," and urged, "The National Assembly should reconsider it."

Ministry of Health and Welfare: "Cooperation from Medical Community Needed for Vaccinations... Will Avoid Misunderstandings"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, the government took a principled stance that the amendment to the Medical Service Act is a matter for the National Assembly to decide, while expressing its intention to communicate with the medical community going forward.

On the same day, Lee Chang-jun, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said at a press briefing for reporters, "The amendment to the Medical Service Act is being discussed and decided by the National Assembly, so we must follow that process, but we do not believe the medical community will carry out a general strike," adding, "It is undesirable for the public to worry in a situation where vaccinations are about to begin."

Lee said, "We are well aware of the medical community's concerns about strengthening license management through the amendment," and added, "We will ensure that misunderstandings or incorrect information are not communicated and will strive to prevent controversies over refusal to participate by the medical community."

He also emphasized the need for cooperation from medical personnel during the vaccination process.

Lee said, "There is room for private clinics to participate in the vaccination process, and medical personnel are also needed at vaccination centers," adding, "We will cooperate to enable the medical community to participate in vaccinations."

He added, "I do not think a general strike will occur solely because of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee's approval," and said, "After the committee's discussion, we will respond to any situations that may arise in the medical community and make efforts to explain in detail any misunderstandings or mistaken beliefs to gather opinions."

Some criticize that during the COVID-19 crisis, the medical community is trying to forcefully assert collective interests over matters unrelated to vaccinations. Last year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical community strongly opposed the expansion of medical school quotas and refused to take the practical exam of the national medical licensing exam, eventually forcing the government to back down and even gain a chance for retaking the exam. Now, they are again holding the lives of the public hostage for collective interests.

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