[Full Text] Han Deok-su: "Medical gaps harm the public... Please stay by the patients' side"

Public Address on Medical Professionals' Collective Action
Han Deok-su: "Medical Reform, a Timely Challenge"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized on the 18th at the Government Seoul Office in a public address that "medical reform is an urgent task that can no longer be delayed," adding, "If an absolute number of doctors is not secured, medical reform can never succeed."

Regarding the medical community, which is engaging in collective action opposing the government's plan to increase medical school quotas, he said, "I earnestly ask you to stay by the side of medical sites and patients," warning, "If a medical vacuum occurs, the damage will fall entirely on the people."

Prime Minister Han stated that he will ensure that the quality of medical education does not decline due to the sudden increase in quotas and will also work to improve the treatment of doctors.

In particular, he explained that by enacting the 'Medical Accident Handling Special Act,' doctors will not feel excessive anxiety about criminal punishment, and that over 10 trillion won will be invested by 2028 to ensure that doctors working hard in essential medical fields receive appropriate compensation.

Below is the full text of the public address delivered by Prime Minister Han on that day.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is delivering a public address on the necessity of increasing medical school quotas and the collective actions of doctors on the afternoon of the 18th at the Government Seoul Office. From the left: Shim Woo-jung, Vice Minister of Justice; Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety; Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance; Prime Minister Han Duck-soo; Lee Joo-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education; Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Dear respected citizens, I stand here today with a truly urgent heart to share the government's position on medical reform.

Some in the medical community are opposing the expansion of medical school quotas and are mentioning collective action. Additionally, medical students have resolved to go on strike, and some residents have submitted resignation letters, creating a chaotic situation.

If these movements translate into actual actions causing a medical vacuum, the damage will fall entirely on the people. This is an unacceptable act that holds the lives and health of the people hostage.

Our medical system is currently in crisis. Both patients and doctors are suffering greatly. There have been multiple cases where critically ill emergency patients, whose time is of the essence, could not receive timely treatment and passed away. Pediatric open runs, metropolitan area medical tourism, and mothers traveling far to find delivery hospitals are occurring.

Doctors are also suffering. Medical staff working in essential and regional medical fields, which the public desperately needs, are exhausted from overnight shifts, long surgeries, and anxiety over medical lawsuits, all while not receiving sufficient compensation.

This is because the aging population is increasing, medical demand and expectations are rising, yet the outdated and irrational medical system remains unchanged, relying on the dedication and sacrifice of individual doctors.

We all feel heavy-hearted when hearing a doctor who chose cardiology with the dream of saving lives laments never having attended their child's graduation ceremony. It is also increasingly difficult to ignore the voices of residents worn out by heavy workloads.

Dear citizens, we have now reached a moment where we must solve these problems through medical reform. Medical reform to revive essential and regional medical care is an urgent task that can no longer be delayed.

Through this address, I want to clearly state the government's position on the direction of medical reform and seek your understanding.

First, the expansion of medical school quotas cannot be delayed any longer. Without securing an absolute number of doctors, medical reform can never succeed. Since the increase in 1998, the number of medical school quotas in our country has not increased by a single person for 27 years.

On the contrary, after the separation of prescribing and dispensing, quotas were reduced and have remained decreased for the past 19 years since 2006. Compared to the growing elderly population and increasing medical demand, the current medical school quotas are grossly insufficient.

If this situation continues, it is expected that by 2035 there will be a shortage of 15,000 doctors. This is a reality approaching in less than 10 years. Considering the time required to produce specialists, the expansion of medical school quotas can no longer be delayed. Not only patients are aging rapidly, but doctors are also aging quickly, making this even more urgent.

Second, we will not only increase quotas but also firmly guarantee the quality of education. I understand that some are concerned that the sudden increase might lower the quality of medical education.

However, the scale of the increase by 2,000 students was not arbitrarily decided by the government but is the result of careful discussion and verification with the country's top experts and universities.

The quotas of major medical schools in Korea are even lower than in the 1980s. Therefore, many medical schools currently have the capacity to educate more students while maintaining current educational conditions and standards. There is also a two-year pre-medical course that allows for supplementation.

Protecting the lives of the people is the reason for the government's existence. The government plans to fully support universities to increase faculty in each subject and to strengthen essential medical and practical training.

Third, we will steadily implement the ‘4 Major Essential Medical Policy Package.’ To revive essential and regional medical care, the government understands that it is necessary not only to increase the number of doctors but also to create conditions where doctors can work with confidence in better environments.

Accordingly, after a year of careful preparation, the government has prepared and announced the ‘4 Major Essential Medical Policy Package.’ This package broadly includes reform policies long demanded by the medical community.

First, we will improve the working conditions of residents to prevent burnout in medical sites. We will also revive regional medical care by fostering local hospitals and securing essential doctors. Investments in regional medical systems, such as customized regional fees, will be expanded, and regional talent recruitment and contract-based regional essential doctor systems will be implemented to help talents settle in regions.

Furthermore, we will enact the ‘Medical Accident Handling Special Act’ to establish a safety net for medical accidents. We will create an environment where doctors can provide care without excessive anxiety about criminal punishment.

Above all, to ensure that doctors working hard in essential medical fields receive appropriate compensation, over 10 trillion won will be invested by 2028 to raise essential medical fees. Considering the high difficulty and risk factors in essential medical care, the public policy fee system will be expanded to provide additional compensation.

We are also preparing an alternative payment system that compensates deficits afterward to maintain hospitals' critical and essential infrastructure. We will support this boldly and intensively with unprecedented methods.

Dear citizens, the government is not making empty promises about medical reform. We are already accelerating the concretization of announced measures. On the 8th, the Ministry of Justice instructed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to actively reflect measures to reduce sentences for medical accidents without gross negligence in emergency medical care.

Work on enacting the Medical Accident Handling Special Act has also begun. Since early last year, fees for essential medical fields such as pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and severe emergencies have been boldly increased. Additional tasks are continuously being identified.

Dear respected doctors, I deeply thank you for your efforts to protect the lives and safety of the people despite difficult circumstances. Your dedication and sacrifice made it possible to overcome the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

The government is always ready to engage in dialogue and communication regarding medical reform. I earnestly ask that differences be narrowed through reasonable discussion and dialogue, not collective action.

The government will listen openly to your opinions and actively reflect better alternatives in policies. I especially ask the residents working on the front lines of medical sites.

The people recognize your hard work. Please do not hurt the hearts and trust of the people.

I earnestly ask you to stay by the side of medical sites and patients.

Dear citizens, I understand your anxiety about the possibility of collective action in medical sites.

The government will thoroughly prepare and respond swiftly to protect the precious lives of the people under any circumstances.

The expansion of medical school quotas and the 4 Major Essential Medical Policy Package are necessary policies to hand down a healthier Republic of Korea to our children.

The government will complete medical reform unwaveringly, looking only to the people.

Thank you.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is delivering a public address on the necessity of increasing medical school quotas and the collective actions of doctors on the afternoon of the 18th at the Government Seoul Office.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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