Amid Medical School Expansion Confusion, Korean Medicine and Nursing Sectors Tackle Long-Standing Issues

Korean Medicine Community Advocates Expanding Participation of Korean Medicine Doctors in Essential Medical Fields
Nursing Community Adopts Proposal for 'Prompt Enactment of Nursing Act'
"Handling Life Involves Fatal Risks... Requires Careful Consideration"

The Korean Medicine community and the nursing sector are taking steps to resolve their 'long-cherished projects' amid the confusion caused by the increase in medical school admissions. They declare their support for the government's policy to increase medical school admissions and argue that their roles should be expanded. The medical community expresses concern, stating that the claims of the Korean Medicine and nursing sectors are matters that require thorough consultation and review.

The Korean Nurses Association held an urgent press conference on the 14th of last month in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging the promotion of five major demands, including the enactment of the Nursing Act. [Image source=Korean Nurses Association]

Since the government's announcement on the plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 on the 6th of last month, the Korean Medicine and nursing sectors have raised their voices for expanding the authority of Korean Medicine doctors and enacting the Nursing Act, saying it is necessary to fill the medical gap and ensure the success of medical reform. The Korean Medicine community has made related claims three times since the 7th of last month, and the nursing sector has done so five times since the 14th of last month.

The Korean Medicine community has advocated for expanding the participation of Korean Medicine doctors in essential medical fields starting the day after the government announcement. The Korean Medicine Association stated on the 7th of last month, "Considering that the supply will only begin in 10 years, policies should be implemented to immediately deploy and utilize Korean Medicine doctors with excellent qualifications and abilities in medical blind spots," and argued, "Policies that adjust the supply of doctors by increasing quotas are too distant to put out the fire at hand."

They continued, "It is a serious problem that Korean Medicine doctors are unfairly marginalized in essential medical fields," and said, "Ignoring Korean Medicine is a dereliction of duty and neglect of responsibility by the government. We are fully prepared to provide the best medical services from essential medical care to skin beauty," urging the government to make a decisive decision.

They also said, "We expect the government authorities to take an active and progressive stance to ensure that 'expanding Korean Medicine doctors' participation in essential medical field policies,' 'including Korean Medicine doctors in the regional doctor system,' 'guaranteeing Korean Medicine doctors' participation in the special committee on cosmetic medical fields,' and 'expanding the scope of procedures for all medical personnel' are all achieved."

In response to the strong opposition from the medical community to the government announcement, the Korean Medicine Association reiterated the necessity of expanding Korean Medicine doctors' participation in essential medical fields. In a statement on the 19th of last month, they said, "We repeatedly propose to the government to immediately implement policies to expand the deployment of Korean Medicine doctors in essential medical fields," and stated that neglecting Korean Medicine doctors is "a clear dereliction of duty by the relevant authorities who must prioritize the health and lives of the people."

On the 27th of last month, the Korean Medicine Association also raised their voice, saying, "It is urgent to remove restrictions on emergency medicines by type so that Korean Medicine doctors, as medical personnel, can utilize them, and to allow basic vaccinations to be administered at Korean Medicine clinics, thereby lowering unnecessary barriers between medical professions," and emphasized, "The participation of Korean Medicine doctors in primary care (essential medical care) should be further expanded."

The nursing sector also argues that the enactment of the Nursing Act is necessary for medical normalization. The Korean Nurses Association held an emergency press conference in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 14th of last month and stated in a position paper, "We support the government's medical reform, but this is only the beginning of true medical reform," and demanded five key tasks from the government: ▲enactment of laws to guarantee nursing services ▲fundamental measures to eradicate illegal medical practices ▲implementation of a national responsibility system for nursing care ▲resolution of regional medical imbalance issues ▲significant expansion of the home nursing system.

Four days later, the Korean Nurses Association announced, "We agree on protecting patients' health and lives and have decided to request the government to establish legal protection measures for nurses to prevent them from suffering damage first." On the 23rd of last month, they said, "Nursing laws are necessary as nurses are driven to illegal medical practices, and it is essential to recognize the scope of work for specialized nurses and establish a legal safety net for dedicated nurses."

On the 28th of last month, they added, "We view pilot projects related to nursing work positively, but we hope that these measures will not remain pilot projects but will be institutionalized by law later to protect nurses in the medical field." On the same day, at the regular general assembly, the Korean Nurses Association adopted a proposal including "a firm commitment to the enactment of the Nursing Act" and "the establishment of nursing policies to enhance the status of the nursing profession."

The medical community has expressed concern about this situation. The Korean Medical Association's Special Committee on Korean Medicine Countermeasures stated in a statement on the 28th of last month, "We cannot help but suspect that they are thinking of this opportunity as a chance to fulfill their desires," and said, "Since it has been confirmed through the media that a senior official at the Presidential Office responded 'It is not under consideration' to the question of whether Korean Medicine doctors would be deployed to fill the doctor shortage, we hope the Korean Medicine Association will stop making unfounded claims and exercise restraint."

They added, "We cannot help but point out that their ultimate goal and core is to remove restrictions on emergency medicines by type to allow illegal use and to claim that vaccinations can be illegally administered at Korean Medicine clinics," and strongly urged, "We strongly urge them to devote themselves to their licensed Korean Medicine practices with their original attitude and to comply with the Medical Service Act in their Korean Medicine practices."

A medical community official said, "We do not think it is bad that various medical-related issues are being discussed," but added, "There are parts that require sufficient time for discussion and consultation, such as the need to find better alternatives than the Nursing Act to improve nurses' treatment." A Korean Medical Association official said, "Doctors do not easily handle patients outside their specialties," and "Policies in the medical field that deal with life must be decided with careful consideration."

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