Government: "Emergency Medical System Stably Maintained... Not a 'Medical Crisis'"

"Violation of Training Regulations When Residents Leave Workplace to Work in Private Clinics"

The government emphasized that the emergency medical system focused on severe and emergency patients is being maintained stably, and dismissed the term 'medical crisis' as an exaggerated expression. It also stated that resident doctors who leave their workplaces and get employed in private clinics without their resignation letters being accepted would be subject to disciplinary action for violating training regulations.

Park Min-su, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, giving a briefing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 8th, Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) briefing on the doctors' collective action, "As of 11 a.m. on the 7th, among 12,907 resident doctors at 100 major training hospitals nationwide, 11,985, or 92.9%, have either abandoned their contracts or left their workplaces."

He also stated that the emergency medical system centered on severe and emergency patients is being maintained stably. He explained that the number of inpatients at tertiary general hospitals decreased by up to 40.7% as of the 4th compared to the average from the 1st to the 7th of last month before the collective action, but has somewhat recovered to a 33.4% decrease as of the 7th. The number of patients in intensive care units at tertiary general hospitals remains around 3,000, showing no significant change compared to normal times. He added, "The number of patients with mild to moderate conditions at emergency medical institutions decreased by 29.3% as of the 6th compared to the average from the 1st to the 7th of last month, but the number of severe emergency patients has remained stable compared to normal times."

He also argued that the so-called 'medical crisis' raised by some is an exaggeration. Vice Minister Park said, "The government is mobilizing all available resources to further strengthen the emergency medical system. We have decided to invest 128.5 billion KRW from contingency funds and 188.2 billion KRW from health insurance finances, and from the 11th for four weeks, we will dispatch 158 personnel?including 20 military doctors and 138 public health doctors?to 20 medical institutions, providing about 10 additional staff per institution." He added, "Through the deployment of medical support nurses, public health doctors, military doctors, and support for hiring additional personnel, we will alleviate the excessive workload of frontline medical staff and maintain the emergency medical system as much as possible."

He continued, "We will also consider measures to ensure that tertiary general hospitals operate mainly for severe patients by requiring new outpatient visits to go through examinations and referrals at secondary hospitals, thereby restoring the medical delivery system."

He also stated that resident doctors who leave their workplaces and get employed in private clinics violate training regulations. He said, "There have been reports that some doctors are employing resident doctors who have left their workplaces in private clinics. This constitutes a violation of training regulations and is subject to disciplinary action." He warned, "Performing medical activities during license suspension or receiving license suspension three or more times will result in license cancellation."

He also mentioned that the pilot project for PA (Physician Assistant) nurses is legal. Vice Minister Park said, "The pilot project for medical support nurses is being conducted within a legal framework, and considering the institutionalization of medical support nurses is aimed at normalizing our country's medical system." He added, "The pilot project is based on the Framework Act on Health and Medical Services, and its purpose is to clarify the scope of work and strengthen legal safeguards for stability."

He continued, "The duties of medical support nurses are already being performed under the guidance and supervision of doctors in the field, and tasks prohibited by precedent cannot be performed. In major countries such as the United States, medical support nurses are already institutionalized and granted more authority." He added, "Institutionalizing medical support nurses is necessary to move toward specialist-centered hospitals."

He also stated that the expansion of medical school quotas by 2,000 and strengthening essential medical services will proceed with speed. He said, "Increasing the number of doctors by 2,000 is the minimum essential condition to prepare for the rapidly increasing medical demand and to protect the lives and health of the people." He added, "Along with increasing the number of doctors, we will strengthen essential medical services as a sufficient condition." He continued, "The government will swiftly implement the 'Four Major Medical Reform Tasks' so that the public can feel the effects."

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