Vice Minister Park Minsu: "Let's Freely Exchange Opinions Instead of 'Conditional 2000 Members' in the Medical Community"

"Sharing Opinions Will Create Empathy"
'Resident Protection and Reporting Center' Enhances Anonymity
1,900 Additional PA Nurses Recruited

On the 26th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare addressed the medical school professors who submitted collective resignation letters, urging them to "protect the schools and hospitals" and proposing "to engage in unconditional dialogue with a sincere attitude."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, stated at the 'Central Accident Response Headquarters Briefing on Doctors' Collective Action' held at the Government Seoul Office that "the government now aims to promptly resolve the current conflict through more active dialogue efforts with the medical community," adding, "Following President Yoon Seok-yeol's request to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the 24th to engage in dialogue with the medical sector, we have commenced practical work to ensure this is carried out smoothly and will arrange a meeting for dialogue as soon as possible."

Vice Minister Park said, "Last weekend, a dialogue atmosphere was created for the first time in a while through the mediation of Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party. The government welcomed this and expressed its intention to engage in dialogue with an open mind and without conditions," but expressed regret, saying, "Unfortunately, the professors' group proposed conditional dialogue based on 'an increase of 2,000 medical school admissions'."

He added, "At this time, rather than debating such conditions, the most urgent priority should be the prompt return of residents and the swift normalization of patient care," and proposed, "Instead of quibbling over whether to set conditions for dialogue, let's come to the table and exchange opinions openly." He continued, "I am confident that as we share opinions, an atmosphere of mutual understanding will develop," and said, "I once again hope for and urge sincere dialogue to take place."

On the same day, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it would further guarantee the anonymity of the 'Resident Protection and Reporting Center' and expand the scope of reports from the existing 'residents' to include 'medical school professors.' This is to strengthen protection for medical staff who remain on site, unlike doctors who left in opposition to the increase in medical school admissions.

On the first day of implementing the "Supplementary Guidelines for the Pilot Project on Nurses' Duties," which allows nurses to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and administer emergency drugs to emergency patients, medical staff are busy working at a university hospital in Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Vice Minister Park stated, "We will prioritize protecting and supporting university students who are fulfilling their duties as students, residents who quietly stay by patients' sides in medical settings, residents wishing to return, and professors who want to protect patients, ensuring their freedom of decision-making is not infringed upon," and added, "We will strengthen the Resident Protection and Reporting Center and also accept reports of workplace harassment both online and offline."

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, from the 12th to the 25th, a total of 84 cases were reported to the Resident Protection and Reporting Center. However, the ministry believes many cases were likely abandoned due to the burden of providing personal information.

Vice Minister Park said, "We will make anonymous reporting the principle and improve the system so that personal information is requested only in exceptional cases necessary for protecting the reporter." Even if personal information is obtained, strict management will be in place to prevent information leaks during the protection process.

The currently operating 'emergency medical system focused on severe and urgent cases' will also be continuously strengthened. Among them, 'Physician Assistant (PA) nurses' will be increased by an additional 1,900 personnel in the future.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare from the 4th to the 15th targeting 47 tertiary general hospitals and 87 public medical institutions providing emergency care, approximately 5,000 PA nurses, including 4,065 at tertiary general hospitals, are currently active. In the future, tertiary general hospitals will add 1,599 PA nurses, and public medical institutions will add 320, totaling about 1,900 additional PA nurses. The ministry expects the number of PA nurses to increase further once the survey of 332 general hospitals, which were excluded from this survey, is completed.

Vice Minister Park explained, "We are supporting PA nurses to perform their duties smoothly while receiving legal protection under the 'Framework Act on Health and Medical Services,'" and added, "Since the 4th, we have formed a 'Task Scope Review Committee' at the ministry to respond to field inquiries." He also said, "To ensure the solid operation of the pilot project, we plan to provide a 'Standard Education and Training Program for Physician Assistant Nurses.' Initially, programs for surgery, surgery department, internal medicine, and emergency severe care will be offered in April, and during the pilot project period, programs for cardiovascular, dialysis, wound ostomy, and intensive nutrition care will be additionally expanded."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to complete follow-up measures related to the increase in medical school admissions by May.

Vice Minister Park said, "On the 20th, we finalized the increase of 2,000 medical school admissions for the 2025 academic year and the allocation by school, and are proceeding smoothly with follow-up procedures such as reflecting this in university admissions screening," adding, "We will complete follow-up measures without delay by May." He further stated, "We will make every effort to ensure stable support for medical school education through close cooperation with related ministries and universities."

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