The government urged medical residents who have been away for 3 months as of the 20th to return by that day if possible due to unavoidable reasons such as sick leave. Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong stated in a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Headquarters for Doctors that “medical residents must return by the point where they have been away from the training hospital for 3 months in accordance with training-related laws for obtaining specialist qualifications next year.”
Minister Cho added that although there may be individual differences, medical residents who left since February 19 should return by today, and if there are valid reasons such as sick leave, there is room for adjusting the additional training period by providing proof to the training hospital.
He emphasized the importance for individuals to return to the hospital promptly to avoid any disadvantages affecting their career paths. He also called on medical school students not to waste valuable learning time and return to school.
Regarding the medical professors who announced a one-week strike upon confirmation of medical school quotas, Minister Cho appealed to them to consider the urgent feelings of patients and their families and refrain from collective actions.
The government requested the medical community to engage in dialogue on this day. Minister Cho urged the medical sector to engage in dialogue without presenting conditions that are unrealistic or do not meet public expectations.
The government plans to swiftly finalize the implementation plan for the 2025 admissions process to avoid further confusion in next year’s university admissions, based on the judiciary’s judgment.
Minister Cho stated that the government will concentrate its efforts on improving educational conditions in conjunction with the expanded medical school quotas. He mentioned plans to develop advanced medical education reform measures to create educational conditions at the level of advanced countries. Additionally, discussions were held on establishing a special account for essential medical services and a regional medical development fund to enhance essential medical services.
Regarding the Medical Reform Special Committee, Minister Cho explained that four specialized commissions under the committee are actively operating to comprehensively review reform tasks. The committee plans to hold special meetings this week for the Essential Medical Care and Fair Compensation Commission and the Healthcare Workforce Commission to discuss improvements in essential medical services and the training environment for medical specialists.
The committee aims to engage in substantial discussions on reform tasks through the intensive operation of the special committee and specialized commissions.