Medical Community: "Nursing Act Undermines Healthcare System and Threatens Patient Lives"

Policy Fueling Residents to Leave Medical Practice Amid PA Activation

The medical community condemned the institutionalization of PA (Physician Assistant) nurses, stating that it would undermine the medical system and jeopardize patient safety.

Im Hyuntaek, President of the Korean Medical Association (right), is announcing a joint statement of the Korean Medical Association, the Emergency Response Committee of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide (Jeon-ui-bi), the Council of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide (Jeon-ui-gyo-hyeop), and the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences at a press conference held in front of the Korean Medical Association building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, at 3 p.m. on the 27th.
Photo by Choi Taewon peaceful1@

On the 27th at 3 p.m., Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), announced this through a joint statement by the KMA, the Emergency Committee of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide (Jeon-ui-bi), the Council of Professors of Medical Schools Nationwide (Jeon-ui-gyo-hyeop), and the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences at a press conference held in front of the KMA building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

President Lim said, "The government's promotion of PA activation is a policy that pushes residents to leave the medical field," adding, "We oppose the strategic promotion of the Nursing Act and lament the reality where even the National Assembly is mobilized for the government's poor policies."

He continued, "(The institutionalization of PA nurses) can only be understood as a notion that denies the resident training system itself and disguises nurses as doctors," emphasizing, "If the Nursing Act is enacted, as a senior doctor, I declare that I will not be able to tell my juniors to return."

He also expressed concern that the enactment of the Nursing Act would undermine the medical law system. President Lim stated, "Unlike the Medical Service Act, the Nursing Act proposed in the National Assembly has no provisions for punishment or sanctions," adding, "Even if nurses violate the Nursing Act, they cannot be sanctioned under it. This will degrade the quality of medical care and seriously endanger patient safety and lives."

He further said, "If PAs are necessary in the medical field, sufficient discussions are needed regarding education and training processes, quality control, scope of work and sanctions for violations, coordination with other professions such as emergency medical technicians and medical technicians, and minimizing adverse effects on resident training," adding, "The rights and interests of nursing assistants must also be properly protected."

He also stated, "The government's impulsive policies and patchwork measures are anti-democratic and unconstitutional," and "I earnestly request that the National Assembly properly criticize such government actions and establish new measures that allow all healthcare professions to coexist."

The government and the National Assembly are currently promoting the enactment of the Nursing Act, which institutionalizes PA nurses who partially replace doctors' duties in the medical field and protects their medical practices.

Meanwhile, President Lim has been on an indefinite hunger strike since the day before, opposing the government's medical school expansion and the promotion of the Nursing Act.

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