Patient groups stated that it should not grant privileges to resident doctors who resign and began a one-person protest on the 22nd. Residents collectively left hospitals last year due to conflicts with the medical association and are now discussing their return. Patients are demanding measures to prevent recurrence, stating they suffered from a healthcare gap during the 1 year and 5 months that the residents departed the hospitals.
The Korea Patient Organization Federation, led by representative Ahn Gi-jong, started a one-person relay protest at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the same day. The federation noted that "(the residents) should return unconditionally as they voluntarily left the medical field" and that "if residents return without promises of reflection and preventing recurrence, the public will inevitably be exposed to healthcare gap anxiety once again."
Residents also went on a medical strike in 2020 but returned after reaching an agreement with the government. The government pushed to increase medical school admissions, while the medical community demanded a full review at the time. Initially, the government took a hardline stance during the strike, but retreated as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Residents collectively resigned last February in protest of the increase in medical school admissions and the essential medical package policy.
Patients urged the National Assembly to propose a law to prevent essential medical gaps to stop the recurrence of resident departures. The idea is to ensure that even if doctors collectively leave hospitals, at least essential personnel should remain in places such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, and delivery rooms.
They also argued for the swift processing of already proposed laws, including the Patient Basic Law, a special law for compensation of damages caused by medical crises, and amendments to the Basic Health Law. The special compensation law includes provisions for paying compensation in cases of damage due to medical crises, while the amendment to the Basic Health Law states that the government must investigate patient damages during health crises.
Patient groups also argued that there should be no privileges for the return of residents. Residents undergo 4 to 5 years of training as interns and residents in hospitals after obtaining their medical license upon graduating from medical school. Currently, residents are demanding three conditions: improvement of training environments, guarantee of continuity, and a review of the essential medical package policy, as well as reduction of legal burdens in medical accidents.
Residents generally enter the military after completing their training. As conflicts with the medical association arose, some applied for military service during their training. They have already joined the military or are waiting for enlistment. Those who have already enlisted are requesting to continue their training at the hospitals and departments they originally worked at after their discharge. Residents waiting for enlistment hope to postpone it until their training is completed. This may be perceived as a privilege in the eyes of the public.
Residents are also opposing the essential medical package policy, which prohibits mixed medical treatments of covered and non-covered services. The medical community demands that mixed treatments be allowed since non-covered services are a major source of revenue for private practice doctors. Residents also called for a reduction in the legal burden when unintended medical accidents occur.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to discuss improving the training environment and continuity of residents in the training council. The council includes the Korea Resident Association, Training Hospital Association, Korean Medical Association, and the Training Environment Assessment Committee. The essential medical package and reduction of legal burdens in medical accidents will be addressed by the National Participation Medical Innovation Committee (tentative name), which is under consideration for establishment. While residents have suggested discussing the essential medical package policy with experts, the government stated that it would hear public opinions on this matter.