Changwon Special City, "Establishment of Gyeongnam Changwon Medical School" ... 1 Million Wishes Delivered to the Presidential Office and Others

Choi Jae-ho, Chairman of Changwon Chamber of Commerce, and Jo Myung-rae, Second Deputy Mayor
Signed petitions of 745,832 people delivered directly to the Presidential Office, National Assembly,
Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Health and Welfa

The petition containing the one million wishes of Gyeongnam residents and Changwon citizens for the establishment of Changwon Medical School has been delivered to the Presidential Office.

On the 7th, Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam handed over a petition and signature list signed by 745,832 Changwon citizens and Gyeongnam residents urging the establishment of the medical school to the government.

Jomyeongrae, the 2nd Deputy Mayor of Changwon Special City, delivered a petition and a signature list to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The delivery of the petition and signature list was carried out over two days, from March 6 to 7, with the participation of Cho Myung-rae, the 2nd Vice Mayor and General Director of the Changwon Medical School Attraction Planning Group, and Choi Jae-ho, Co-Chairman of the Changwon Medical School Attraction Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee (hereafter Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee) and Chairman of the Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. On the 6th, they visited the Presidential Office and the National Assembly, and on the 7th, they visited the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education to deliver the documents.

Since the launch of the Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee in March last year, the city has actively promoted the signature campaign. Changwon citizens and the five local district lawmakers have united in calling for the establishment of the medical school, and the consensus for the medical school quickly spread throughout Gyeongnam Province, with 740,000 people participating in the signature campaign. Until the medical school is established, all sectors including politics, economy, and religion will continue the signature campaign as one.

Furthermore, a recent public opinion poll showed that over 84% of residents support the establishment of Changwon Medical School.

The reason why local residents are raising their voices for the establishment of the medical school is interpreted as a growing sense of crisis due to the collapse of regional healthcare caused by a shortage of medical personnel.

Jomyeongrae, the 2nd Vice Mayor of Changwon Special City, and Choi Jaeho, the Chairman of the Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, submitted a petition and a signature list to the National Assembly on the 6th.

Gyeongnam has the fourth largest population in the country, but there is only one medical school (with a quota of 76 students), and the number of medical school seats per 100,000 people is 2.3, which is the lowest in the nation compared to the national average of 5.9. In particular, Changwon, the capital city of Gyeongnam and the only metropolitan city with a population over one million outside the metropolitan area, does not have a medical school.

As of 2021, the number of deaths in Gyeongnam that could have been prevented with proper treatment reached 1,560, ranking third highest nationwide. Moreover, the mortality rates from liver cancer and cerebrovascular diseases are 13.9% and 23.9%, respectively, ranking first in the country, making Gyeongnam a severely medically underserved area.

Cho Myung-rae (2nd Vice Mayor of Changwon City), General Director of the Changwon Medical School Attraction Planning Group, said, “The establishment of a medical school is the first step to improving the level of regional healthcare and reducing health disparities among residents,” adding, “It is necessary for the government to make a wise decision so that doctors who graduate from the local medical school and train at local hospitals can settle in the area and contribute to the development of regional healthcare.”

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