Dialogue launches without main opposition, junior doctors

Nov 12, 2024, 01:09 pm

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Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, speaks during the first meeting of a consultative body with the government, ruling party and doctors’ groups at the National Assembly in Seoul on Nov. 11, 2024./ Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Lee Han-sol

A consultative body comprising the government, the ruling People Power Party (PPP), and the medical community was launched on Monday to resolve a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. It was held without participation from opposition parties and striking junior doctors and students. Rep. Kim Sung-won, the PPP representative, announced the results of the first meeting held at the National Assembly.

The newly launched group decided to hold two meetings every week until late December to reach some form of consensus amid disruptions to emergency care and other services at major hospitals. It will discuss ways to bring intern and resident doctors back to training hospitals and guarantee the autonomy of the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation, an institution that evaluates the quality of medical education at medical school, as well as other issues without preconditions.

The medical community reportedly expressed concerns that male junior doctors who resigned might be required to enlist in the military in March even if they get hired next year. The government has decided to find ways to support their return.

This comes just a day after the impeachment of Lim Hyun-taek, the head of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the country’s largest organization representing physicians, went through a big change. He was removed for failing to coordinate opinions among various medical groups and making inappropriate comments. With the KMA scrambling find a new leader, there is growing expectations that it may open a way to resolve the conflict with the government, raising voices for medical doctors and engaging in dialogue with the government.

#KMA #consultative body #government #PPP