Today is the deadline for residents' return... Jo Gyu-hong: "If not returned, we will follow the principle... Please come back to the patients"

"Full Comeback Not Yet... Today Is the Last Day of Comeback"

Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, requested the residents who left the medical field to return and stated that if they do not return, judicial procedures will be carried out in accordance with the principles.

Minister Cho appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' on the 29th and said, "Full-scale return has not yet been achieved," adding, "I understand that many residents are still hesitating. Since today is the last day for return, I earnestly ask all residents to come back to the patients' side."

Regarding the reasons why residents are hesitating to return, Minister Cho pointed out, "Perhaps as doctors, they have great concerns for patients, but anxieties due to the expansion of quotas and relationships with colleagues who are taking the same actions are also playing a complex role." He continued, "Moreover, since the government has taken a principled stance, there is no focal point, and many are hesitating to return. If they come back by today, they will be pardoned, and we are willing to discuss a blueprint for the future medical system together."

On the afternoon of the 28th, one day before the deadline for residents and medical students who engaged in collective action to return to work, Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, is speaking at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting related to the doctors' collective action held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the Presidential Office's statement that it is difficult to see the Korea Medical Association (KMA) as having representativeness of the medical community, he said, "Since last year, we have built trust through 28 meetings with the KMA in the Medical Issues Consultative Body. However, after the government announced the increase in medical school quotas, the KMA suddenly demanded a complete rollback of the essential medical policy package and medical reform tasks that they had previously expressed agreement with."

Minister Cho explained, "They incited collective action by residents and even spread malicious false information about Ministry of Health and Welfare officials. Therefore, we began to question whether they are suitable as a dialogue partner for the government. Also, recently, while communicating with hospital association officials and medical school representatives, we found significant differences from the KMA's claims, so we thought it necessary to talk with other medical organizations and individuals."

Regarding criticism about the lack of specific plans related to medical fees, he emphasized, "The government announced an essential medical policy package worth 10 trillion won, and according to that plan, from January this year until now, we have invested 1 trillion won in pediatrics, childbirth, and severe emergency care. By next month, we will also strengthen compensation related to severe pediatric surgeries and heart diseases such as acute myocardial infarction, and thereafter, we will promptly promote fee increases for high-difficulty and high-risk procedures such as craniotomy and cerebral aneurysm surgery on a quarterly basis."

He added, "Increasing fees is not the only important thing," and said, "We will also promote the Medical Accident Handling Special Act, improvement of working conditions, and expansion of regional medical infrastructure together to maximize the effect."

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