The Society of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery: "Protect the Future Heart Surgeons, Only About 100 Left"

"Medical School Expansion Scale Must Be Re-discussed Unconditionally from the Starting Point"

The Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery has urged the government to protect the future heart surgeons, of whom only about 100 remain nationwide, and called for alternatives to address this issue.

[Image source=Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery]

In a statement released on the 11th, the society expressed concern, saying, "The government, choosing pressure and coercion over negotiation and persuasion, is undermining public health, lives, and the medical system under the name of future medical reform," and added, "The cooperation between the government and the medical community, which has worked together for decades to protect the lives and health of the people, is cracking and collapsing."

In particular, the society emphasized the importance of the currently remaining 100 or so thoracic surgery residents and stated that the government needs to make efforts to listen to their voices for protection and persuasion to return, rather than punishment. Currently, there are 78 thoracic surgery residents nationwide, and 29 applicants applied for new residency positions this year.

The society pointed out, "Without them, there is no future for thoracic surgery in Korea, nor for essential medical care," and criticized, "The government is stigmatizing those who chose thoracic surgery?a field everyone avoids?willing to sacrifice themselves for the lives of the people, as 'medical defectors'." It further questioned, "Can a government that cannot even persuade about 100 thoracic surgery residents protect the nation's essential medical care and the future of Korean medicine?"

Regarding the root cause of thoracic surgery residents leaving amid this crisis, the society analyzed, "What has been imposed on thoracic surgery, which has fought desperately to save fading lives, is not the honor of being an 'essential medical specialty' but the stigma of being an 'avoided specialty,' and now it has become a 'draining specialty,' a self-deprecating term."

Nevertheless, the society affirmed, "Thoracic surgeons never give up on patients under any circumstances," and added, "As they have done for the past half-century, they will not leave patients' sides and will listen to the voices of residents and protect them."

The society also criticized the current government's medical reform policy as hasty. It stated, "It is a hasty policy lacking grounds for persuasion and justification for cooperation," and claimed, "The world's best medical system is helplessly collapsing due to self-destructive medical policies. All the damage will be borne by the people."

Furthermore, the society said, "We have continuously proposed that accurately diagnosing the problems is the top priority to save essential medical care," and expressed hope that "the policy will be reconsidered unconditionally from the beginning and that the current situation will be resolved promptly below the critical point through the government's sincere apology."

Through the statement, the society also proposed seven demands to the government. First, it pointed out, "The current confusion in the medical community stems from the irrational policies and one-sided enforcement of the current government. We demand a clear explanation and apology from the government regarding the content, timing, and reasons for the rushed implementation of the policy."

Second, it demanded, "The immediate cessation of authoritarian sanctions and threats against young medical professionals by the current government, and protection of their future. We demand an apology for inappropriate government actions against them." Third, it called for "the immediate withdrawal of the irrational plan to increase medical school quotas by 2,000 students. Considering the social impact of increasing medical school quotas, we demand the formation of a consultative body composed of medical and social experts to conduct unconditional re-discussion from the beginning."

Fourth, it pointed out "the uselessness of the essential medical care package, which even denies the basic investigation of the essential medical care crisis situation due to inaccurate data," and demanded "the government reconstruct specific essential medical care policies and financial plans, including actual condition surveys, fee recalculations, and structural improvements." Fifth, it demanded "reflection and apology from university authorities who agreed to the unilateral medical school quota increase policy, which could devastate the future medical field, forgetting their duty as educators based on selfish interests."

Sixth, it expressed "deep trust and respect for other healthcare professionals who have protected the health and lives of the people together, proposed solidarity to resist populist medical policies, and to protect the lives and health of the people." Lastly, it declared, "From the perspective of the people suffering from the current situation, we pledge to do our utmost until the end to protect the residents, who are the future of Korean medicine, and the lives and health of the Korean people."

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