Yoon: "Increasing Medical School Quotas is a Prerequisite for Establishing an Essential Medical Care System"

"Incentives to Work Harder Are a Sufficient Condition"
Steady Promotion of Increasing 1,000 Professors at National University Medical Schools

President Yoon Suk-yeol asserted that expanding medical school quotas is a necessary condition for establishing an essential medical care system.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 16th Public Discussion on Livelihoods held under the theme "Daegu Rising with Advanced New Industries" at Kyungpook National University in Buk-gu, Daegu on the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon made this statement on the 4th during the 16th "Public Livelihood Discussion with the People" held at Kyungpook National University. He cited the reduction of medical school quotas by 350 students during the 2000 separation of prescribing and dispensing of medicine, and the fact that about 700 graduates annually, roughly 25% of medical school graduates, move into non-reimbursed fields, evaluating that "the essential and regional medical care system cannot be sustained."

To firmly establish an essential medical care system, he explained, "Increasing quotas is a necessary condition, and providing incentives for doctors to work harder is a sufficient condition." He added, "The government will definitely invest financially in regional base medical schools and base hospitals, so there is no need to worry; just expand medical schools."

Jeon Byeong-wang, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "We will increase the number of professors at national university medical schools by 1,000 by 2027 to enable excellent personnel to work in regional and essential medical fields," and mentioned plans to consider establishing a regional medical development fund and supporting state-of-the-art facilities and equipment at national university hospitals.

The government will first increase the number of professors at national university medical schools by 1,000 by 2027 to support securing excellent personnel in essential medical fields at base national university hospitals. Additionally, to address the issue of not being able to expand necessary personnel in a timely manner, related regulations such as total labor costs are also being improved.

Government investment to strengthen infrastructure at national university hospitals is also expanding. To expand facilities and equipment at national university hospitals, 111.4 billion KRW will be supported in 2024, a 41% increase compared to 78.8 billion KRW last year, with plans to continuously increase investment scale to equip infrastructure at the level of major metropolitan hospitals and enable them to fully serve as regional final treatment institutions for severe cases.

Furthermore, to effectively plan and implement these support policies according to the characteristics of medical institutions, the jurisdiction over national university hospitals will be transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Meanwhile, about 100 citizens including businesspeople engaged in advanced industries in Daegu, parents, students, local residents, and members of the Daegu Local Era Committee attended the discussion. From the government and local governments, Woo Dong-gi, Chairman of the Local Era Committee, Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, and Lee Gwan-seop, Chief of Staff to the President, participated together.

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