[2024 National Audit] Welfare Committee Hearing Witnesses "Medical Service Gaps Cause Major Harm... Urge Medical-Political Dialogue"

Attendance by An Gijong, Representative of the Korea Patient Organization Federation, and Others

Witnesses attending the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee (Welfare Committee) audit appealed for medical-government dialogue, expressing concerns over damages caused by the increase in medical school admissions and the resignation of resident doctors.

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong is responding to questions from committee members during the Health and Welfare Committee's audit at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 8th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 8th, Ahn Ki-jong, president of the Korea Patient Organization Federation, who appeared as a witness at the Welfare Committee audit, said, "Patients have felt over the past eight months that our lives are trivial enough to be sacrificed due to conflicts between the medical community and the government," adding, "It is a heartbreaking feeling." He further stated, "Let us discuss the 2026 quota based on scientific evidence and transparent procedures within the ruling-opposition medical-government consultative body or the Special Committee on Medical Reform."

Park Min-sook, vice chairperson of the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union, also said, "As the process to resolve the shortage of medical personnel has been rough, the medical gap has extended to eight months, causing harm to patients, and dozens or hundreds of nurses are in a 'waiting for employment' status," arguing, "To resolve the medical-government conflict, not only medical organizations and the government but also healthcare workers, civil society, and patient groups must actively engage in dialogue."

Jung Hyung-joon, policy committee member of the Health and Medical Organizations Federation, said, "For the medical-government consultative body to function, it is necessary not only to launch it but also to coordinate significantly in advance and organize substantive negotiation content that will bring back young doctors and students." He emphasized, "I do not know what efforts the government is currently making to meet or negotiate with resident doctors," adding, "The return of resident doctors will depend on the government’s progressive attitude."

On the same day, the witnesses also voiced difficulties in public and regional healthcare and urged the government to expand financial support. Cho Seung-yeon, chairman of the National Association of Local Medical Centers, said, "The government is restructuring tertiary general hospitals, but it is equally important to enable public and regional secondary hospitals to fulfill their roles," adding, "This should be reflected in the medical delivery system plan."

Nam Woo-dong, director of Gangwon National University Hospital, lamented, "Even looking at simple figures, this year's deficit is expected to be three times that of last year," adding, "We are living day by day with a sense of crisis, wondering if we can hold on until next year." Currently, the bed occupancy rate at Gangwon National University Hospital is reported to have dropped from about 70% last year to 40%.

In response to these witness statements, Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "We apologize to the patients suffering from the medical gap," and promised, "We will work to resolve the medical gap as soon as possible."

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