[2024 National Audit] Minister Jo Gyu-hong: "Medical Reform Is Not About Promoting Medical Privatization"

"Essential and Regional Medical Expansion Now"
"Field Limits Due to Staff Shortage... Resident Return Is the Solution"

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong refuted claims that the government's medical reform efforts are aimed at promoting medical privatization, stating, "What we are trying to do now is to expand essential medical services and regional healthcare."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 8th, at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit, Rep. Chu Kyung-ho of the People Power Party said, "There are talks that improving indemnity insurance as part of medical reform is an attempt to promote medical privatization," and requested, "There seems to be considerable misunderstanding, so please explain the direction of the government's policy, Minister of Health and Welfare."

In response, Minister Cho said, "The claims that the government is abolishing the compulsory designation system of health insurance, allowing for-profit hospital sectors, or expanding the scale of indemnity insurance to increase the share of private insurance as grounds for promoting medical privatization have nothing to do with medical reform," adding, "I hope there is no misunderstanding. Legal amendments are necessary to establish such grounds, but we have no intention of pursuing them."

Rep. Chu also raised concerns about the collapse of the emergency medical system, increased mortality rates, and discrepancies with the actual field situation, asking, "There are concerns that the emergency medical system is unstable due to issues such as resident doctors."

Minister Cho explained, "While admissions and surgeries at tertiary general hospitals have decreased, those at general hospitals have increased," and added, "Overall, it is true that the number of medical personnel has decreased due to resident doctors leaving the field, leading to a reduction in overall medical services."

Minister Cho further stated, "However, mortality rates may vary depending on the population base considered, and there is no major confusion as much as the public fears," and said, "Currently, the system is being well maintained thanks to the dedication of medical staff on the ground and public cooperation, but fundamentally, the quickest way to resolve this is for resident doctors to return promptly."

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