Halted fight between government vs. doctors damages both

Relatively calm private clinics and hospitals, but government taken back by junior doctors fighting fiercely

Criticism on “Medical reform plan disintegrated by medical strike,” ruling party claims “discussion to be continued”

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) has decided to temporarily halt but revisit their discussion with the government and the ruling party on increasing the quota for medical school and establishing public medical school, until COVID-19 is contained.

 

The junior doctors are most likely to return for their duty after the last discussion on Sept.

 

7.

 

Instead of revoking the policy, the government made up a pretext for re-discussing the medical reform policy, whereas the medical community paved their way to intervene in the future medical policy making process.

 

With COVID-19 spreading relentlessly, the talks on medical reform plan saw no clear winner or loser.

 

Ultimately the medical community also had to settle on a middle ground as they were to face the angry public, if the strike continued.

 

◆So did the ruling party ‘lose’ the battle?: Even within the ruling party, criticisms were made on the result of the ruling party and medical organization agreement.

 

Democratic Party Lawmaker Representative Lee Su-jin posted a comment on her social media on Sept.

 

4, "We are now supposed to re-discuss expanding the medical school quota and establishing public medical school from square one, and obviously we are putting a pin on introducing the regional doctor system, indefinitely.” Lee continued and evaluated, “The doctors used medical strike to maneuver their say in the medical reform policies the public is highly interested in.” Lawmaker Yun Kun-young firmly defended the ruling party’s decision and responded to the criticism on the agreement between the ruling party and the Korean Medical Association (KMA), saying, "Even if the government couldn’t save its face, and the ruling party feels humiliated, there is nothing we can do,” because “saving the people’s lives come first amid COVID-19.“ Democratic Party Policy Committee Chair Han Jeongae, who led the mediation between the government and the medical community, also refuted the criticisms that the government and the ruling party had surrendered to the medical community.

 

Lawmaker Han said, "The policy will be revisited again through persistent communication and discussion to resolve the unfair distribution of medical service in different regions, strengthen essential medical care and reform medical care system for the public.

 

Also the ruling party would endeavor to deliver the agreement signed between KMA and the Democratic Party.” The medical community is also still torn from the result.

 

KMA President Choi Dae-zip’s executives clashed with the interns and residents, who are already calling for President Choi’s impeachment.

 

Resisting against the agreement, the medical interns, residents and fellows demanded the strike to continue, but they declared the strike would be over without a justification to continue as KMA signed the agreement.

 

◆Private clinic and hospitals were calmer, but junior doctors arose: The most unique part of the medical strike was medical interns, residents, fellows and students taking the action together.

 

KMA President Choi Dae-zip signed an agreement with the ruling party and the government.

The medical reform plan to increase the medical school quota and opening public medical seemed to have stirred the young doctors more than private hospital doctors.

 

During the nationwide strike from Aug.

 

28 to 29, only about 6 percent of private hospitals and clinics went on a strike, but up to 84 percent of the medical interns and residents participated.

 

The private hospital strike participation rate went down over time, but the junior doctors’ participation rate continued to rise.

 

The medical community and the National Assembly analyze reaching the agreement would have been impossible without the participation and solidarity the young doctors showed.

 

The government also took Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), instead of KMA, as a negotiation counter partner.

 

This is the reason the ruling party agreement added a clause stating ‘fostering and supporting essential medical care, and practically improving medical interns and residents’ training environment.’ A National Assembly official commented, "It is true that the medical interns, residents and fellows play a significant role in the medical field," and “their absence in response against the pandemic would have pressured the government tremendously.” What the government feared the most was the actions taken by professors, interns and residents at tertiary hospitals.

 

Amid the epidemic, dysfunctional tertiary hospitals would be detrimental.

 

Specifically, the government was concerned with the inconvenience the patients requiring urgent care or fighting against severe diseases would experience.

 

This proved the role of private hospitals and clinics is weaker than that of tertiary hospitals amid COVID-19.

 

During the junior doctors’ fight against the government policy plan, KMA secured their seat in re-discussing the key agendas, such as the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee structure, medical care delivery system reform, pilot program for Korean herbal medicine coverage, and non-contact medical service.

 

The government and the ruling party would have realized by now that fighting with doctors is never easy.

 

And the doctors now have the ‘strike’ as their open option whenever an unfavorable policy is on the table.