KMA Emergency Committee: "Government Dispatch of Public Health Doctors and Military Medical Officers Widens Regional Healthcare Gaps"

"Many Drafted Public Health Doctors Have Not Even Experienced Internships"
"Government, Stop Releasing Stopgap Measures and Start Dialogue"

The medical community criticized the government for widening the regional medical gap by dispatching public health doctors and military medical officers to fill the medical vacuum.

Joo Suho, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee Public Relations Committee of the Korean Medical Association. / Photo by Choi Taewon peaceful1@

The Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association held a regular briefing at 2 p.m. on the 13th at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and announced this. Joo Su-ho, the KMA Emergency Committee's media publicity officer, said, "A significant number of the dispatched public health doctors have not even experienced internships. It is known that they are having difficulties adapting to hospital systems and tasks," adding, "It has also been reported through the media that the dispatched public health doctors and military medical officers have not even been assigned proper accommodations and are paying for lodging out of their own pockets."

He continued, "As we feared, the issue of regional medical vacancies has immediately become a reality," and added, "Residents in areas experiencing medical vacancies due to the dispatch of public health doctors say it sounds like they are being told, 'Local people should go to hospitals in Seoul.'"

He further stated, "The government, which lacks understanding of healthcare and has failed to propose solutions to structural problems, is ironically widening the medical gap between metropolitan and provincial areas. The public will not understand this absurd reality. We urge the government to stop issuing ineffective stopgap measures and engage in dialogue based on a fundamental policy review."

Concerns were also raised about a significant number of male medical students who have chosen to take a leave of absence and are preparing for active military service. He said, "Seeing the reality where public health doctors and military medical officers are being indiscriminately drafted and used like tools, they think active military service is better," adding, "From a few years later, it will be impossible to meet doctors in remote areas and military units."

He also urged the government to acknowledge its mistakes and engage in dialogue. Chairman Joo said, "Watching the government persist only with stopgap measures, I question whether healthcare in the Republic of Korea can survive intact," adding, "The public hopes the government will admit its mistakes and come to the table with an open mind. Only that approach can rescue Korea’s healthcare system from its endless decline."

Regarding the launch of the "National Medical School Professors Emergency Response Committee," led mainly by Seoul National University College of Medicine professors, he explained, "Our communication channel is the existing KMA-affiliated organization, the 'National Council of Medical School Professors' (Jeonui-gyo-hyeop)."

He added, "It is true that there is a separate 'National Medical School Professors Emergency Response Committee' different from Jeonui-gyo-hyeop," and said, "Since the public and members are confused, I suggested to the representative of Jeonui-gyo-hyeop that it would be better to unify the channels or find a consensus."

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