KMA: "Non-face-to-face Medical Care Is Not a Solution... Government Must Engage in Dialogue"

"The Area Experiencing Medical Gaps Is the Inpatient Treatment Sector of Training Hospitals"

The medical community urged the government to show a willingness to engage in dialogue and compromise, stating that the expansion of telemedicine does not help resolve the current crisis.

The Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association (KMA) held a regular briefing at 2 p.m. on the 14th at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where they made this statement. Joo Su-ho, the KMA Emergency Committee’s Public Relations Officer, said, "The current gap is occurring in the inpatient treatment area of training hospitals. Outpatient services at training hospitals are operating normally, and most primary and secondary medical institutions are fully committed to patient care. Therefore, the full expansion of telemedicine, which can only replace outpatient care, was never a viable solution to this crisis."

He also pointed out the ineffectiveness of telemedicine based on the government’s announcement. He said, "The government analyzed medical institution billing data from the period of telemedicine expansion from the 23rd to the 29th of last month and reported that 30,569 telemedicine claims were made at the clinic level, a 15.7% increase compared to the previous week. During the same period, hospitals submitted 76 telemedicine claims, mainly used by patients with mild illnesses," adding, "How does the expansion of telemedicine at clinics and the increase in telemedicine for mild illnesses at hospitals relate to resolving the medical service gap at training hospitals?"

Explaining the risks of telemedicine, he also called for its suspension. Chairman Joo stated, "Even in countries with vast territories worldwide, telemedicine is still in its infancy, and issues such as legal disputes, encouragement of medical overconsumption, and delays in treatment for severe and emergency conditions have been pointed out," adding, "We urge the government to stop the reckless attempt to fully expand telemedicine, which had been conducted as a pilot project through consultations."

He also argued that the pilot project plan for the Senior Doctor System contradicts previous government statements. He said, "The government stated that if the current medical school quota is maintained, 30,000 doctors will be produced over 10 years, but also claimed that by 2035, there will be 32,000 doctors aged 70 or older, portraying as if all doctors over 70 have retired and are no longer active," adding, "Yet, they announced plans for a pilot project for the Senior Doctor System, showing inconsistent actions." He continued, "As the government has also acknowledged, doctors over 70 are actively working in medical institutions, and it is accepted as fact that there is effectively no retirement age for doctors," and added, "We ask the government not to distort facts and mislead the public by manipulating numbers."

He criticized the government’s statement that the current situation?where patient concentration at large hospitals has eased and a medical delivery system appropriate to patient severity is functioning after the emergency medical system was activated?ironically shows that the Korean medical system was operating abnormally. Chairman Joo said, "Why has the government neglected its responsibilities until now, and shamelessly claimed that a normal medical delivery system is being established through the emergency medical system?" He added, "We urge the government to acknowledge the mistake of creating a ridiculous medical system that only normalizes in emergencies, apologize to the public, and seek forgiveness."

Furthermore, he called on the government to stop oppressing doctors and engage in dialogue. He said, "As the government’s reckless actions without compromise continue, this crisis is becoming increasingly difficult to resolve through dialogue," adding, "The Resident Doctors’ Association sent an urgent intervention request letter to the ILO yesterday. The government is responsible for this situation, where issues that could have been resolved through dialogue and compromise are now left to the judiciary and international organizations due to persistent communication failures."

He concluded, "We sincerely hope the government reflects once again on the founding ideals and constitutional spirit of the nation, and stops oppressing doctors so that the Republic of Korea can be recognized internationally as a country where freedom and human rights are guaranteed, showing a willingness to engage in dialogue and compromise."

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