The government will resume discussions on healthcare reform, which were halted due to the state of emergency. Minister Cho Gyu-hong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare noted on the 27th, “We have faced difficulties in recent discussions on healthcare reform, but revitalizing essential and local healthcare is a task that cannot be paused here,” and stated that specific measures would be pursued.
Minister Cho said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) held at the Government Seoul Building that morning, “We are working to advance the discussions on healthcare reform by listening to voices from the healthcare field and gathering opinions from various sectors.”
The presidential committee for healthcare reform will also be reinstated. The committee held its 12th meeting of the essential healthcare and fair compensation subcommittee the previous day and discussed measures to reform non-compensated medical insurance. The committee's discussions effectively halted as medical organizations protesting the emergency situation stopped participating but resumed as they convened a subcommittee meeting the previous day.
Following the subcommittee meeting the previous day, the government announced it would hold a discussion next week on measures to enhance the 'regional secondary hospitals and primary healthcare activation plan' to gather opinions from local healthcare settings. Minister Cho said, “The government is taking follow-up actions based on the first phase implementation plan of healthcare reform announced on August 30,” and added, “We will diligently pursue the healthcare reform tasks promised to the public.”
During the CDSCH meeting that day, the government reviewed support policies and operational status, including the expansion of pediatric emergency medical infrastructure.
Currently, the government operates 12 'pediatric specialized emergency medical centers.' On that day, it plans to designate Ajou University Hospital, equipped with facilities and specialists specialized in pediatric emergencies, as an additional pediatric specialized emergency medical center. Plans are also underway to designate two more pediatric specialized emergency medical centers next year to strengthen the infrastructure for severe pediatric emergencies.
Moonlight Children's Hospital, which provides treatment even on holidays and at night, currently operates 100 locations and plans to continue expanding next year. Particularly in medically underserved areas with less than 30,000 pediatric population, additional operational support will be provided to encourage their establishment.
To prepare for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the government has designated a two-week period from the 22nd of next month to February 5 as 'Lunar New Year emergency response period' and decided to strengthen the operation of the emergency medical system. It urged local governments to establish plans for emergency medical services, including the designation of medical institutions and pharmacies open on weekends and public holidays.