2024-03-15 00:53:19
Press conference for patients with severe diseases (Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Dong-jin Yoon = On the followingnoon of the 11th, a press conference is being held in front of the Yeongeon Campus in Jongno-gu, Seoul National University, sponsored by the Korea Association for Severe Diseases, calling for the resignation of residents and the halt in medical school professors leaving the medical field. 2024.3.11 [email protected] (End) <저작권자(c) 연합뉴스, 무단 전재-재배포, AI 학습 및 활용 금지>
As the government and the medical community keep repeating their own stories regarding increasing the number of medical school students, it is difficult to predict when and how the confrontation will end. There is even a saying going around in the market, “Which will end first: the war in Ukraine or the medical strike?”
As professors at 19 medical schools across the country fiddled with the collective resignation card for each school until the 15th, the government was not to be outdone and began the process of allocating 2,000 students, the goal of increasing the number of students. It is said that a policy has also been established to allocate the increased number of students to medical schools in regional and metropolitan areas in a ratio of 8 to 2 starting from the 2025 college admissions period. At this level, it’s a ‘chicken game’ where you run once morest each other and end when one of you dies or gives up.
If the standoff continues, not only the patient but also the test takers will suffer. Concerns inevitably grow regarding whether medical school admissions will really be increased next year and whether students will be able to study properly once they enroll. With students who entered medical school this year taking a collective leave of absence, and their seniors also having to repeat a grade, classes may be disrupted.
President Yoon Seok-yeol and the government have implemented a cold-blooded strategy to prevent doctors from leaving the hospital due to the 2,000-person increase, but even the simple words are not working. Although there are license suspensions and police investigations, they also presented carrot measures such as increasing the number of medical school professors by 1,000, providing 1 million won per month to pediatric residents, and increasing the fee for emergency and severe treatment. However, the doctors’ comments are full of harsh expressions such as ‘Cho Sam’s policy’ and ‘Do not sell a doctor’s life for 1 million won.’
When the countermeasures do not work, they appear to be acting like crazy. They are trying to prevent residents who have resigned and left the hospital from opening their own practice and enlisting as private soldiers. Park Min-soo, Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said, “There is an argument that the resignation takes effect one month following submission, but this does not apply to employment contracts with multi-year contracts such as four years (like medical residents).” They said they are still only subject to medical treatment maintenance orders and business start orders under the Medical Service Act. It seems petty, as if he is accusing a resident of a hospital who has left the hospital of a misdeed. He also said, “(Residents) are managed as national military resources and cannot be enlisted as private soldiers at will.” The government’s attitude of trying to prevent people from leaving the hospital to become regular soldiers rather than military doctors or public health doctors might be seen as an abuse of public power.
On the other hand, the medical community only shouts that ‘no increase in troops’ and does not come up with any alternative to resolve the situation. Residents are not properly responding to the government’s request to meet, and the Korean Medical Association minimizes the meaning of some of the meetings that have been made, saying they are not representative. Medical school professors are asking the government to talk, but they are also setting a deadline for collective resignation and working with their students to put pressure on the people and the government.
Chairman Joo Su-ho attends the police for forensic observation (Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Do-hoon = Joo Su-ho, chairman of the press and public relations committee of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association, who was accused of violating the medical law amid the legislative conflict surrounding the expansion of medical schools, conducted a mobile phone forensics examination on the morning of the 8th. We are attending the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul for observation purposes. 2024.3.8 [email protected] (End) <저작권자(c) 연합뉴스, 무단 전재-재배포, AI 학습 및 활용 금지>
The appearance of Joo Soo-ho, chairman of the media and publicity committee of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 8th clearly demonstrated that the medical community looks down on public power. On this day, he came out wearing sunglasses, holding an iced Americano in his right hand, and his left hand in his pants pocket. No matter how dull public power has become, in the past politicians and high-ranking officials were not so relaxed as to go for a walk around the neighborhood when appearing at the prosecutors’ and police stations. The whole country, including the patient, is watching, but it is a very rude and wanton attitude. It is a show to show the government, ‘If you want to do it, do it,’ and to the people, ‘We are not guilty.’ A startup CEO with an engineering degree said, “We are always anxious because we don’t know when the company will close, but it is surprising that doctors dare to go on strike once morest the government.”
Looking at the way things are going now, it is difficult to resolve the situation. Not only the patient, but also the public watching the fight between the two become exhausted. If the medical community finds it difficult to accept the 2,000-person scale, they must provide a strong justification for the government to change the scale of the increase. Since we will make concessions on these things, the government should discuss reducing the number of people from 2,000. When it comes to negotiations in any field, there is no ‘all or nothing’ answer. There must be something to give and receive from each other. An agreement can be reached only when the other party is given a reason to get out along with corresponding benefits. However, it is difficult to expect that the medical community, which has decided to humiliate the Korean government by requesting the intervention of the International Labor Organization (ILO), will make even the slightest concession.
Just looking at the plan presented by Bang Jae-seung, chairman of the emergency response committee of the Seoul Medical School Faculty Council on the 12th, it seems that the scale of medical school expansion will be decided only following a year. Emergency Committee Chairman Bang said, “Let’s request the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) or, if necessary, the World Health Organization (WHO) and follow the results of the research compiled a year later.” He also suggested, “Let’s form a dialogue consultative body involving the government, the Korean Medical Association, the ruling party, the opposition party, national representatives, professors, and medical residents.” However, it is currently difficult to reach a compromise between the government and the medical community alone, and it is obvious that if the number of parties increases, the ship will go uphill.
Kim Taek-woo, emergency committee chairman of the Korean Medical Association, and organizing committee chairman Park Myeong-ha present at the police station (Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-cheol = Korean Medical Association emergency response committee chairman Kim Taek-woo (center) and emergency committee organizational strengthening committee chairman Park Myeong-ha were summoned by the police on the morning of the 12th in connection with the suspicion of conspiracy to cause mass resignation of medical residents. He is attending the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul to be investigated. 2024.3.12 [email protected] (End) <저작권자(c) 연합뉴스, 무단 전재-재배포, AI 학습 및 활용 금지>
So, rather than leaving our sovereign decision to foreign countries, why not reach a conclusion through a national referendum? According to Article 72 of the Constitution, the president has the right to vote in a national referendum, which covers foreign affairs, national defense, unification, and other important policies related to national security. There is no greater national security than the current situation in which people’s lives are threatened for a long period of time. It is within the president’s discretion to decide whether it is necessary to submit it to a referendum. As long as the president makes a decision, it can be submitted to a national referendum through deliberation by the Cabinet without the consent of the National Assembly. Through voting, the public’s opinion can be obtained not only on whether to increase the number of people, but also on the appropriateness of the number of 2,000 people. In particular, there will be no hassle if the referendum on medical school expansion is held on the same day as the general election on the 10th of next month.
Since the government and the medical community show no sign of backing down from the debate over the number of 2,000, the only people who can solve this problem are the people. If the government accepts the results of the referendum rather than relying on an overseas agency, both the government and the medical community can find a way out with less loss of face. The medical community may oppose the referendum because public opinion is unfavorable, and they may ask whether it makes sense for non-expert citizens to determine medical policy. However, even if the number of troops is increased, there are objections to the number of 2,000, so making a decision through national consensus is not necessarily disadvantageous for them.
If specialists and professors join the strike in the future, resolving the situation will become more difficult. For next year’s entrance exams, there is an urgent need to conclude on the distribution of the confirmed increase to each university. Since there is no answer, a situation is approaching where a referendum will be held and the decision will be decided by national consensus. Even if the government falls back from 2,000, it can be said to have followed the will of the people, so there is no other way out.
Kim Byeong-ho, editorial writer
1710471555
#Endless #medical #strike.. #holding #referendum #general #election #decide #outcome #핫이슈
