Gov't pledges fulfillment of medical reform, early resolution of doctors' protest
A patient is being moved inside a general hospital in Seoul, May 15. Yonhap
The government pledged Friday to successfully fulfill medical reform, a day after an appellate court ruled in favor of the government's plan to increase the nationwide medical school admission quota.
Senior interior ministry official Lee Han-gyeong made the remarks during a government response meeting to the ongoing doctors' collective action after the Seoul High Court rejected the previous day an injunction filed by the doctors' community to halt the quota hike.
The court decision paves the way for the first such quota increase in 27 years, aimed at addressing chronic shortages of doctors in essential medical fields and rural areas without sufficient health care services.
"In respect of the court's intention, the government will resolve the dispute in the medical sector promptly and do its utmost to accomplish the medical reform," Lee said.
He hailed the court decision as new momentum in pursuing medical reform, pledging that the government will "reward the public with an improved health care service environment by successfully accomplishing the reform."
The medical community has vowed to appeal Thursday's court decision, with protesting trainee doctors' walkout nearing its third month and causing major disruptions in health care services.
Trainee doctors are demanding the government shelve the quota hike entirely.
"I urge (trainee doctors) to listen to appeals from various corners of society, including patients' organizations ... and to return to their places next to patients," Lee said. (Yonhap)