- विज्ञापन -
Seoul: South Korea’s Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo appealed to the medical community to resume discussions with the government regarding ongoing medical reforms.
During a government meeting, Min-soo expressed his disappointment over the lack of dialogue between authorities and healthcare professionals. He emphasized the urgency for doctors’ associations to return to negotiations, as thousands of trainee doctors have been abstaining from their duties since February of last year, protesting against the government’s proposal to increase the number of medical students.
The government’s plan includes raising medical school admissions by 1,500 for 2025, aiming for an overall increase of around 10,000 students within five years to address the doctor shortage.
Min-soo highlighted that the government is striving to stabilize the medical system and alleviate challenges faced by junior doctors. He noted concerns that trainee doctors and medical students might be avoiding negotiations to create a crisis in the education of medical workers and patient care, thereby pressuring the government to accept their demands. He stressed that such behavior would be unacceptable.
Moreover, last month, Acting President Choi Sang-mok stated the government is willing to reevaluate the medical school admissions quota for 2026 from the ground up, offering hope for a resolution to the ongoing impasse involving trainee doctors. He expressed openness to flexible discussions regarding the quota if the medical community is willing to engage.
