In response to the government’s claim of ‘increasing the number of medical schools after consultation’, the increase in medical schools is compared to sexual assault.
Rally in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office… “The government didn’t listen to us and took the people hostage.”
Doctors: “If a patient dies, it’s the government’s fault… Will the president step down if the people want it?”
“Even if it means ending my life, I will take off my welfare vice minister clothes”… Daejeonhyup Emergency Committee Chairman said on social media, “Catch it.”
Doctors gathered to oppose expansion of medical schools
(Seoul = Larose.VIP) Reporters Seo Seong-ho and Seo Hye-rim = Doctors who opposed the government’s increase in medical school admissions held another rally and criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol and the government with high-level remarks.
In the midst of the ‘medical crisis’ caused by the resignation of medical residents, he asked whether “if patients die, it is because of the government” or if the number of troops is increased as the people want, the president should also follow the people’s will and step down.
In response to the government’s claim that it is seeking to increase the number of patients through consultation with the Korean Medical Association (KMA), he asked, “Is it okay to sexually assault someone just because they went on a few dates?” The increase in medical schools is compared to sexual assault.
The Seoul Metropolitan Medical Association held the 2nd ‘Rally to Stop Medical School Capacity Increase and Essential Medical Care Package’ in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul at 7 p.m. on the 22nd.
Police estimated 300 people gathered for the rally that lasted about an hour. Organizers announced that 500 people gathered.
The Seoul Medical Association also emphasized at this rally that the government is hastily pursuing wrong policies, such as increasing the number of medical schools, and that this must be stopped.
Park Myeong-ha, president of the Seoul Metropolitan Medical Association, said, “The government has declared that it will never back down on the 2,000-person increase, and has threatened to issue reinstatement orders and administrative measures to suspend licenses for residents who resign of their own free will, and to suspend qualifications for Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the medical association emergency committee, and me. “They are threatening us by sending out advance notices,” he said. “Such all-encompassing and lawless government threats cannot stop the struggle of our 140,000 doctors.”
At the same time, he said, “Park Myeong-ha, the second and third line, is standing by,” and “I will never back down and prevent damage to medical students and residents, and prevent the government’s excessive and arbitrary increase in personnel. (The struggle) D-Day is when medical students and residents are the government.” “It is the very day that we are sacrificed,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as a result of an inspection of 100 major teaching hospitals (47 on-site inspections and 53 written reports) as of 10 p.m. the previous day, 9,275 people, or 74.4% of the residents, submitted resignation letters.
According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 11,778 students from 34 medical schools applied for leave of absence over the three days until the previous day.
Doctors gathered to oppose expansion of medical schools
The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to administratively suspend the licenses of residents if they do not return to work despite the order to resume work, and the Ministry of Education is in the position that allied leave of absence does not meet the requirements for leave of absence. If group action continues for a long period of time, students may receive a group repeat.
When President Park met with reporters prior to the rally, he said, “Yesterday, university deans and residents held a private meeting, and the start of the semester has been postponed. The students’ determination is very strong and strong, but if they can’t attend classes for 4 to 5 weeks, they will all have to repeat a grade.” He said.
He added, “We plan to hold a meeting with the dean, hospital director, and residents every Wednesday, and if nothing else happens, we plan to hold a nationwide simultaneous rally every Thursday,” adding, “We will hold a rally in Yeouido on March 3.”
On this day, attendees of the rally chanted slogans such as “Unprepared number of medical schools, medical education will be damaged,” “unilateral policy implementation, endangering public health,” and “Unplanned increase in medical schools, national health insurance will be bankrupt.”
Kim Seong-geun, who took the microphone after Chairman Park and vice-president of the Seoul Medical Association’s emergency committee and vice-chairman of the Seoul Medical Association, said, “In university hospitals, professors are filling the positions left by residents. We held a meeting with professors during lunch, and seeing the professors were tired made me sad.” “I could sense that it wouldn’t last long,” he said.
He said, “Now they say that full-time doctors will leave in March. The interns and first-year residents who were supposed to come in in March did not sign contracts. Now, 30% of doctors at university hospitals will disappear in March. The desperate situation does not begin now. “I didn’t even do it,” he warned.
The level of remarks reached its peak as time went by.
Jwa Hoon-jeong, policy director of the Seoul Medical Association, received a positive response from attendees when he said, “Isn’t the government holding the people hostage by pushing policies like this without listening to us? If a patient dies, it’s because of the government.”
Director Left also asked, “You said you increased the number of medical school students because the people wanted it, but if a public opinion poll showed that the number of National Assembly members was 100, would you do it? If the number of civil servants was reduced by half, would you reduce it? If the public opinion that the president should step down exceeds 50%, will you step down?”
He then poured out criticism towards Vice Minister Park using informal language.
Director Left said he would refrain from talking because they were similar in age, and then pointed out, “Hey, when did we agree to increase the number of students in the medical school?” and “If you say it right, isn’t that the same as saying that sexual violence is okay just because you’ve dated a few times?”
He added, “Even if I have to see blood and kill myself, I will take your clothes off.”
Lim Hyun-seon, president of the Songpa-gu Medical Association, said, “I greet the ‘Naksu,’ the ‘woman,’ and the ‘uisae,’” mocking Vice Minister Park’s recent remarks. In a recent briefing, Vice Minister Park incorrectly spoke in a way that made it sound like ‘Uisae’, which is used as a derogatory expression for doctors.
Meanwhile, the former chairman of the Korean Medical Association (Daejeon Association), Daejeon Association Emergency Committee Chairman Park Dan, posted a link to the news in which he appeared on his Facebook page the day before and wrote, “Catch it.”
This can be interpreted as a reference to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s administrative measures such as suspension of medical licenses for those who do not return to work, and the Ministry of Justice’s pressure to arrest and investigate the instigators of collective action.
At the same time, Chairman Park shed tears in an interview with SBS that day, saying, “(Among the residents), there are teachers and heads of families with children, so you come out prepared.”
Rally to stop medical school expansion
soho@yna.co.kr
Report to KakaoTalk okjebo
