The government proposed a revised alternative to establish a medical manpower supply and demand forecasting committee under a separate organization rather than the Health Policy Review Committee (HPRC). The provision stating that university presidents would autonomously determine the number of medical students next year if the forecasting committee did not reach an agreement was omitted.
According to the National Assembly on the 26th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare submitted a revised bill related to the establishment of the forecasting committee the day before.
The government included a plan to secure independence, which had shown the most significant difference in position with the medical community regarding the forecasting committee. The Ministry wanted to place the forecasting committee under the Health Policy Review Committee, an agency under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, but took a step back by proposing to create a separate organization and establish the forecasting committee under it.
According to the government's revised proposal, a new Medical Human Resource Development Committee will be established. Under this committee, job-specific forecasting committees will be created to discuss student quotas. Additionally, the Human Resource Development Committee will respect the deliberation results of the forecasting committee, and the number of medical students will be determined by the Minister of Health and Welfare and the Minister of Education in accordance with the deliberation results of the Human Resource Development Committee.
The previous announcement stating that if the forecasting committee could not reach an agreement on the number of medical students for next year, each university president would decide has been deleted. An additional clause was added that states if the number of medical students for the next year is not established by April 15th, it will follow current legislation.
The forecasting committee will be composed of a total of 16 members, with 9 allocated to the medical community, ensuring a majority. The four members recommended by user organizations and the three recommended by academia will remain unchanged.