In 2024, there was a medical crisis in Korea. The medical crisis occurred on February 20, 2024, when doctors at university hospitals nationwide in Korea left the hospital site in protest of the increase in medical schools. As a result, patients who must receive treatment are not receiving treatment or surgery. The fight between doctors and the government is even hurting patients.
More than 500 professors, or more than half of the professors in charge of medical treatment and surgery, are expected to participate in the collective refusal of medical treatment at Seoul National University Hospital, which will begin on June 17. The government stressed strict response, saying it will exclude hospitals that have neglected to refuse medical treatment from the list of support to ease financial difficulties.
Kang Hee-kyung, chairman of the emergency committee of the Seoul Medical University and Seoul National University Hospital Professors’ Council, said on the 16th, “The adjustment of medical treatment (for indefinite refusal) is as scheduled from tomorrow,” adding, “We have completed the division of work, including the intensive care unit and the emergency room.” The emergency committee said 529 professors (as of 8 p.m. on the 15th) postponed outpatient treatment and regular surgery, procedures, and examination schedules from the 17th to the 22nd, the first week of indefinite group refusal. Of the 967 professors who are in charge of treatment and surgery at Seoul National University Hospital, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Boramae Hospital, and Gangnam Center, 54.7 percent are in charge of treatment and surgery. The operating room utilization rate averaged 62.7 percent after the resignation of the major, but the emergency committee predicted that the figure will fall to 33.5 percent due to indefinite refusal of treatment. However, the professors said that even if outpatient treatment and regular surgery were delayed, they would go to the hospital and prepare for emergency situations such as emergency rooms and intensive care units. Oh Seung-won, head of the emergency committee’s public relations team, said, “Professors who know the impact best on prognosis and patients are adjusting the schedule for treatment and surgery.”
Opposition lawmakers from the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee met with Kang and other professors of the emergency committee on the same day, but there was no change in the policy of indefinite refusal of medical treatment. Kang Sun-woo, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, said that the emergency committee demanded the welfare committee to discuss △ cancellation of the administrative order of the residents △ formation of a consultative body for dialogue and discussion △ adjustment of the number of medical colleges with the medical community.
The Korean Medical Association also proposed three major proposals to the government on the same day. The proposals include △ re-discussion on the increase of medical schools △ revision of essential medical policy package △ retroactive cancellation of administrative order by medical residents. The medical association said if the government does not accept the request, it will reject collective medical treatment on July 18 as scheduled. The Ministry of Health and Welfare says it is not appropriate for the medical association to make a request to the government on the premise of collective medical treatment rejection. The ministry said there is no change in the policy of increasing the number of medical school residents and disposing of medical residents. “The government has already made several clear promises that there will be no disadvantages to returning medical residents,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for doctors’ collective action. “It is hard to accept the demand that (the administrative order) be made unexpected no matter how many times we take it seriously.”
The government continued to sternly respond to the doctors’ collective action, putting pressure on hospitals that are suffering from financial difficulties. At a meeting of the Central Committee on the day, the government said, “We have asked the head of each university hospital not to reject the collective treatment of professors. If the hospital neglects it, we will consider excluding it from the list of advance payment of health insurance.” Pre-payment of health insurance is a system in which health insurance benefits are paid in advance to medical institutions that are suffering financial difficulties due to a decrease in medical treatment, and then settled later. Training hospitals, whose income has sharply declined due to a drop in the number of patients due to the departure of their residents, have requested the government to make advance payment.
The government will strengthen its emergency treatment system in preparation for the group’s refusal to treat patients in groups scheduled this week. Starting from Thursday, hospitals will take turns on duty to prepare for emergency situations 24 hours a day, and will be implemented in metropolitan areas including the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong area, Jeolla area and Gyeongsang area. The rotation system for each severe and emergency disease will be expanded starting with acute aortic syndrome, acute abdominal diseases of children under 12, and obstetric emergencies such as delivery. In addition, beds at the National Cancer Center will be operated as much as possible to minimize the gap in treatment for cancer patients. In addition, the government will inform the health care centers that normally operate when doctors refuse medical treatment in groups through the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s call center (129) and its website.
There should not be a situation in which patients cannot receive treatment for each other’s benefit. Hospitals should also be responsible for their patients and refuse medical treatment and surgery. The government should also treat the doctors responsible for the patients fairly.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
