Korean Medical Association Emergency Committee Statement on Collective Resignation and Potential Strike

2024-02-17 14:36:56

Kim Taek-woo (Chairman of the Gangwon Province Medical Association) makes his statement in front of reporters immediately following the first meeting of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association on the 17th. Trainee reporter Park In
The Korean Medical Association (KMA), which formed an emergency response committee to block the increase in medical school capacity, announced that it actively supports the ‘collective resignation’ of residents (interns and residents) who are their juniors. A full-scale strike is scheduled for residents at the so-called ‘Big 5’ (Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Asan Medical Center, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital) next week. Regarding the government, which even mentioned the possibility of ‘license revoking’, “If they continue their intimidation, we will take legal action.”He countered.

The decision was left to the emergency committee It was also confirmed that the start and end point of collective action at the medical association level will be decided by a vote of all members.did. However, it was not revealed when exactly voting would begin and the results would be made public.

After holding its first meeting at the main auditorium of the Medical Association Building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the followingnoon of the 17th, the Medical Association emergency committee said, “We express strong regret over the inappropriate remarks that predicted the deprivation of licenses and broke the personal will of residents to voluntarily resign,” and added, “If they continue to be intimidated, they will face legal consequences.” “I warn you that we may take action,” he said, announcing the decision of the meeting.

He said, “As a fellow doctor, I deeply sympathize with, respect and support the resident’s voluntary resignation, which is currently in progress.” “In any case, if even one doctor is disadvantaged regarding his or her license in connection with this incident, this will be considered a direct challenge to the doctor, and we strongly warn that he or she may take actions that are difficult to handle.”He declared.

This follows the government’s previous order banning the acceptance of collective resignation letters for 221 teaching hospitals across the country, and its stance that it may suspend license qualifications and even take criminal punishment once morest residents who disobey the order to begin work.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s ‘Doctors’ Collective Action Central Accident Management Headquarters’ has stated, “This time, there will be no leniency or ex post facto relief like in 2020 (at the time of the September 4th legislative-governmental agreement).”

In the unlikely event that a resident or medical student suffers damage due to a strike or leave of absence from an alliance, the emergency committee said, “We will take responsibility for all legal responses,” and added, “In order to protect our members and fight, we will open a donation account for the emergency committee to receive voluntary donations.” “I will do it,” he said.

However, from what the Korean Medical Association has determined, the emergency committee explains that the current fighting actions of doctors cannot be grounds for license revocation under the Medical Service Act.

The emergency committee said, “Your license will be revoked (a requirement) only if you raise a criminal issue and are sentenced to imprisonment or a suspended sentence or higher.” “We are protesting on the grounds that we cannot accept the government’s policy based on medical and autonomous judgment. Is it really appropriate to send those doctors to prison?”He asked back.

He continued, “The director of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Severance Hospital submitted a letter of resignation today, and he said he might no longer tolerate the society’s treatment of doctors as if they were ‘collective egoists’ and ‘fighting over food bowls.’” He added, “Because of this situation, ( He predicted, “If licenses are revoked, there will be more doctors like this (leaving the field).”

The Korean Medical Association’s Emergency Response Committee to block the increase in medical schools held its first meeting at the main auditorium of the Medical Association Building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the followingnoon of the 17th. Na Chae-young, trainee reporter
It was also confirmed at the meeting that the policy of deciding when to start and end comprehensive collective action in the medical community will be decided by a vote of all members of the medical association.

Captain of the emergency room “The ‘collective action’ we are talking regarding is not a downstream suspension, etc., but an indefinite (strike or suspension of work) or final action.”He explained, “To put it simply, during the struggle for the division of medicine in 2000, residents came out (to hospitals on strike) in the summer and went in in the winter. That’s what we’re actually talking regarding.”

This means that the current situation, which can cause a chain of ‘medical gaps’ from hospitals and clinics to general hospitals, may be prolonged for a much longer period.

In addition, when asked regarding the ‘criteria’ for resuming dialogue with the government, he simply said, “First of all, you should stop lying (that increasing the number of medical school seats is inevitable).” The idea is that consultation itself is impossible if the government maintains its current position that it “can never back down” on the ‘expansion of medical school quota by 2,000 students’.

Captain of the emergency room “If the government calmly judges the seriousness of the situation and immediately withdraws the medical school quota and essential medical policy package, we request the formation of a consultative body to discuss this from the beginning.“Do it,” he urged.

Meanwhile, the emergency committee plans to hold an emergency meeting of national representatives and a condemnation rally on Sunday, the 25th. It was also decided to push for a large-scale rally with all lawmakers participating. It has been determined that the 10th of next month is the likely date for the event.

At the emergency committee meeting on this day, 39 members, including Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Taek-woo (Chairman of the Gangwon Province Medical Association), attended online and offline. The Korean Medical Association requested the Korean Medical Residents Association (Daejeon Medical Association) to recommend four emergency committee members, but it has not yet been decided whether the residents will actually participate.

The Korean Medical Association’s emergency committee says that as soon as the formation of the Daejeon Medical Association’s emergency committee is completed, discussions with residents will accelerate.

In a declaration of struggle read out before the meeting, the emergency committee said, “With the emergency committee as the focal point, all members, including medical students, residents, medical school professors, salaried doctors, and private practitioners, must fight with all their might to stop the government’s ambitions,” and “We must fight once morest the government’s ambitions.” “Now we must end the pain of the doctor who endured the beatings he took advantage of,” he said.

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