Launch of the "National Participatory Medical Innovation Committee" Set for Next Month

Ministry of Health and Welfare Seeks Measures to Strengthen People-Centered Regional, Essential, and Public Healthcare

On September 25, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it will establish the "National Participatory Medical Innovation Committee" under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister next month, in order to promote healthcare reform that resonates with both the public and the medical community.

Previously, the government had presented "Transition to a Sustainable Healthcare System-Real Healthcare Reform Created by the People" as one of its 123 national policy tasks.

With the recent normalization of the medical field, including the return of medical residents, there is an urgent need for social discussion and countermeasures to overcome the current crisis in regional and essential healthcare, as well as to enhance the public nature and sustainability of the healthcare system. In response, the government has decided to establish a new medical innovation promotion system centered on participation, communication, and trust, based on evaluation and reflection on past healthcare reforms, and to swiftly develop people-centered healthcare innovation measures.

The Innovation Committee will first strengthen the public representation in healthcare innovation discussions by forming a main committee of up to 30 members. This committee will include a diverse group of representatives from patients, consumers, local communities, youth, labor unions, employers, and the media, as well as experts from fields such as health, economy, society, and technology, and relevant government ministers. In addition, a separate expert committee, composed mainly of professionals capable of in-depth review and proposing alternatives for healthcare innovation issues, will be operated. This structure will ensure that consumer and expert members make up more than half of all members, thereby enhancing the diversity and representativeness of the committee.

To further expand opportunities for direct public participation, a "Medical Innovation Citizen Panel" (tentative name) will be established within the Innovation Committee. This panel will deliberate on issues requiring social consensus and prepare recommendations. These recommendations will be made public, and after being discussed by the Innovation Committee, the results and implementation plans will also be announced.

An online public participation platform will also be operated, allowing anyone to propose policies and participate in surveys. The discussions and outcomes of the Innovation Committee and the Citizen Panel will be transparently disclosed to the public through online broadcasts and transcripts.

The Innovation Committee also plans to focus on consumer-centered innovation tasks. While previous healthcare reforms mainly revolved around mid- to long-term structural reforms on the supply side-such as medical personnel, delivery systems, and compensation systems-the new promotion system will concentrate on finding practical solutions to address current gaps in pediatric, maternity, and underserved regional healthcare, minimizing emergency room rejections, and improving the need for patients to travel to the capital region for treatment.

Furthermore, the committee will seek ways to improve rehabilitation, long-term care, and end-of-life medical services in preparation for a super-aged society, as well as strengthen regional, essential, and public healthcare through technological innovation. The committee will continue to discuss solutions to the structural problems in the healthcare system, which are the root causes of the current crisis in regional and essential healthcare. However, the government has stated that it will not set detailed agendas in advance, but will instead finalize specific topics through democratic and public discussions after the committee is launched.

The Medical Reform Promotion Team within the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which was established under the previous administration, will be reorganized into the "Medical Innovation Promotion Team," an inter-ministerial collaborative body that will support the operation of the committee as well as policy development and public engagement.

A Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated, "We plan to establish a presidential directive for the creation of the Innovation Committee in October and request nominations for committee members from various sectors. Once the committee is formed, we will launch the Innovation Committee and develop a people-centered roadmap for healthcare innovation."

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