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[From the scene] Doctors took to streets to protest increase of medical students
  • By Lee Han-soo
  • Published 2020.08.14 17:54
  • Updated 2020.08.14 17:54
  • comments 0

Doctors and medical students took off their medical gowns to protest the so-called "four evil medical policies" announced by the government, in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday.

The four evil polices cited by the medical community are the increase of medical school admission quotas, the establishment of a public medical school, the introduction of telemedicine, and giving insurance benefits to some herbal medicines.

About 10,000 doctors and medical students hold a protest rally opposing the government's plan to increase doctors, in Yeoeuido, Seoul, on Friday.

Despite the hot and humid weather, participants started filling up the assembly site an hour before the rally. They shouted out various slogans, such as "withdraw the policy of disregarding on-site medical practice," and "don’t apply reimbursement to herbal medicine without verification."

"Unfortunately, we had no choice but to give up doctors’ duties of treating patients at hospitals," Korea Medical Association President Choi Dae-zip said. "However, the government has forced us to come out of our offices, labs, lecture halls, and take a group action on the streets."

Choi went on to say, "After the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic early this year, we doctors have thrown our mind and body to the sole mission of protecting people's lives and safety. However, after pretending to be grateful for the doctors' efforts, the government has announced the four evil policies behind the back of the medical community.”

Choi stressed that the government is pushing for these policies as if it had waited for a health crisis, and ran them unilaterally without any discussions with the medical community. To prevent the government's unilateral decision, doctors made their demands, including the immediate abolition of the four policies.

"The Ministry of Health and Welfare called for forming a consultative body and discussing the matter in a news release on Wednesday as if accepting the medical community's demands," he said. "Right after they made such an announcement, however, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Kim Kang-lip reiterated that there would be no changes in the government's decision to increase medical students."

Choi pointed out that such an act was nothing but a trick to blame the medical community.

Choi said that he would take all responsibilities so that all members can properly voice their opinion as experts without any disadvantages, and wrong policies can be corrected.

Neighborhood clinics have posted signs that they would be taking a leave of absence this week.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 8,365 out of 33,836 neighborhood clinics reported that they would be closing down their hospital on Friday.

"We plan to close our hospital as soon as we discharge hospitalized patients," a doctor running a local clinic told Korea Biomedical Review. "Although the hospital had patient appointments, we canceled all of them after explaining our plans to go on strike."

Fortunately, the patients understood our cause, he added.

Some others went on a vacation, using the three-day holiday until Monday.

"Although I closed down my hospital, it is because I have scheduled my vacation during this period," a doctor said. "I will not be joining the protest."

corea022@docdocdoc.co.kr

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