Sunchon National University: "Establishment of a New Medical School Must Guarantee Dual Education System and Regional Hospitals in East and West"

As discussions on the integration of Sunchon National University and Mokpo National University for the establishment of a new national medical school in South Jeolla Province have stalled due to disagreements over the location of the medical school, Sunchon National University (President Lee Byungun) released an official statement on April 20, stating, "Beyond the debate over the location of the medical school, the priority should be establishing a system for nurturing medical professionals that promotes mutual prosperity for all of South Jeolla Province."

In the statement, Sunchon National University said, "While various policy proposals have recently been made regarding the establishment of the medical school, the current discussions should not become a source of conflict between regions or political negotiations," and added, "This is a matter directly connected to the right to life of local residents, and both central and local governments, as well as political circles, must play a more responsible role."

Suncheon National University campus.

원본보기 아이콘

The university made it clear that there are limitations to deciding the location of the medical school solely through inter-university consultations. Sunchon National University explained, "We have sought solutions through autonomous consultations between universities so far, but it has become evident that this approach alone makes it difficult to reach an agreement that both local residents and university members can trust," and emphasized, "It is not appropriate to leave the medical school issue solely to the universities or to shift responsibility onto them."

Sunchon National University proposed a dual medical education system and the establishment of regional university hospitals as key alternatives, taking into account the differing medical needs of the eastern and western areas of South Jeolla Province. The university explained that the eastern region is not only a major population center but also home to large-scale national industrial complexes, resulting in extremely high demand for emergency, critical, and rehabilitative medical care. In contrast, the western region urgently needs to address medical service shortages in island and underserved areas, and a single-structure approach is deemed insufficient to resolve these issues.

The university also rejected the idea of building the local medical system as a branch of another university hospital. Sunchon National University stated, "Citing budget constraints to justify making a specific region's medical sovereignty dependent on medical institutions in other areas, or to legitimize medical neglect, is unacceptable," adding, "A branch system makes it difficult to establish a self-sustaining cycle of training medical professionals and providing medical care within the region, and thus has fundamental limitations."

The university further emphasized, "It is necessary to train medical professionals according to the specific needs of the eastern and western areas of South Jeolla Province and to build a 'locally complete medical system' where hospitals work organically together."

Sunchon National University also clarified its stance on the university integration issue. The university stated, "We welcome the pledges of financial support for the establishment of new hospitals made during the local election process, but the final authority over the establishment and operation of national university hospitals lies with the government," and added, "Before pursuing integration, the central government must guarantee a dual medical education system at both campuses and the establishment of regional hospitals in the eastern and western areas."

The university went on to say, "The medical school location debate must not be left to fester as a source of regional conflict, nor should the responsibility be deferred under the name of 'university autonomy.' The government must demonstrate a strong commitment to implementation through a national-level roadmap and budget."

President Lee Byungun stated, "Establishing a new medical school based on the unilateral sacrifice of a particular region will only create another imbalance," and stressed, "We must build a balanced medical system in which both the eastern and western regions participate, paving the way for a sustainable future."

He added, "To avoid repeating the 'long-standing future' of past conflict and neglect, the central government must closely cooperate with local governments to develop mutually beneficial solutions and make responsible decisions."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.