Medical Community, Government, and Political Circles Unite on 'Essential Medical Care Improvement'... "Let's Strengthen Communication in the New Year"

'Medical Community New Year's Greeting Ceremony' Held on the 4th at the Korean Medical Association Hall

Politicians from both ruling and opposition parties, the government, and the medical community unanimously emphasized the need to improve the essential medical care system. The medical community appealed for attention to the voices from the field, and both the government and political circles expressed their sympathy.

On the 4th at 10 a.m., Lee Pil-su, President of the Korean Medical Association, urged the government and political circles to communicate, stating that the essential medical system is at risk during the '2024 Medical Community New Year's Greeting Ceremony' jointly hosted by the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Hospital Association at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Choi Tae-won peaceful1@

The "2024 Medical Community New Year Greeting Ceremony," jointly hosted by the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Hospital Association, was held on the 4th at the Korean Medical Association Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The medical community warned that the essential medical care system is in danger and urged communication with the government and political circles. Il-su Lee, president of the Korean Medical Association, said on the day, "I hope that effective measures by the government and political circles to support and foster the collapsing essential medical care will be promptly implemented through continuous communication and persuasion with the political sphere." He added, "We need to approach this scientifically and systematically by utilizing various factors, indicators, and variables, not political logic or popularity." He continued, "I hope this issue will be resolved through sufficient discussion and consensus with sincerity, even if it means staying up all night, rather than just for show."

Dong-seop Yoon, president of the Korean Hospital Association, said, "The regional and essential emergency medical care system is in crisis," adding, "The first step toward proper policy implementation and system improvement is to keep communication channels open and derive alternatives, which I believe is the role and responsibility of both the medical community and the government." Sung-min Park, chairman of the Korean Medical Association's council, also said, "Just being in the same place does not mean communication happens," emphasizing, "Only open minds, sincere communication, and consideration that build mutual trust are the only keys to solving difficult problems."

The government also acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and the importance of communication. Min-su Park, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "Korea ranks at the top in various national health indicators according to several statistics. However, safety is greatly concerning due to the avoidance of essential medical specialties by residents and regional medical disparities." He added, "The government places solving this issue as the highest priority and aims to resolve long-standing problems. Long-term tasks will be addressed steadily and boldly, short-term tasks swiftly, and financial investment will be made decisively." Furthermore, he explained, "All policies promoted by the government cannot succeed without the help and cooperation of the medical community. The government will continue to promote health and medical policies through ongoing dialogue and communication with the medical community based on sincerity and trust."

Political circles, regardless of party lines, also stressed the need to solve problems through communication. Ik-pyo Hong, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "The core issue is essential medical care. I believe the increase in medical school quotas should reasonably follow this goal." He added, "I will definitely listen to the voices from the field and actively engage in dialogue with the medical community." Jeong-sook Seo, a member of the People Power Party, said, "Reflecting on what the National Assembly did last year and whether we did our best as healthcare professionals, I will strive to find common ground through smooth communication in the new year."

Jeong-sook Yang, an independent lawmaker, also said, "Without serious discussions with the medical community, it is questionable whether increasing the number of doctors will actually increase doctors in the originally intended essential medical fields." She added, "The issue of quota expansion can be resolved through discussions and deliberations, including appropriate compensation for avoided specialties."

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