The conflict in the legislature was barely closed, but the reorganization of the medical system could disappear.

The legislative conflict appears to have ended when the government and the medical community stepped back on the 4th and agreed to revert to discussing key issues on the “origin” in the future by forming a “legislative council.”

The medical target at the treatment site for the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) can also be resolved.

However, the prospect of a plan to reform the medical system, which the current government has been ambitiously pursuing, such as expanding the capacity of the medical school and establishing a public medical school amid collective action by physicians, is has become uncertain.

Some have already predicted that it may be difficult to re-implement medical system reform within the current mandate, beyond simply delaying it for a considerable period of time. Parallel to this, liability theory may arise due to the “failure” of policy advocacy.

In particular, while medical organizations are expected to resolve their wishes, such as an increase in medical fees, based on this agreement, medical consumers are criticizing the composition of a council between the government and the medical community, which may intensify social conflict.

The government, the ruling party and the Korean Medical Association (Medical Association) concluded negotiations on the current issue and stated in the agreement, “We will stop promoting policies and bills and will discuss again with all possibilities after the stabilization of Corona. 19 “.

In addition, medical consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare are not only the four policies that the medical community demands to withdraw (increase in the medical school, public medical school, concession benefits, non-face treatment), as well as the measures local medical support such as local fees, essential medical promotion measures, improvement of the career and health training environment. It was decided to form and discuss all other important issues, such as the improvement of the structure of the Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee (constitutional review) and the establishment of the medical services delivery system.

This council is a place where other stakeholders, such as health insurance underwriters and patients, civil society and academia, cannot work together. In the bilateral consultation, if the medical consultation ends and you adhere to the ‘policy retreat’, the discussion will inevitably take a turn.

In fact, in a speech sent to physicians, the president of the Choi Medical Association, Choi, emphasized that the nature of the advisory body “will have the effect of strongly inhibiting the expansion of medical school gardens and the promotion of new public medical schools “.

Although apparently the conflict was closed with the conclusion of the agreement, it is unlikely that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will escape the theory of responsibility after the lack of implementation of the policy.

Social Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said on the day that “the ground hardens after the rain” and evaluated the agreement as a “new beginning”, but at this time related civic groups even used the words “secret trade. “and” surrender of the white flag “and strongly criticized it.

In a joint press conference, 176 labor and civil society organizations, including the Humanitarian Practitioner Council, stated: “After negotiating with the government, the ruling party and the medical association on the progress of public health policy, they declared the abandonment of public health reform “. In the end, they took a step back in the hostage game of their patients, “she said.

The Justice Party also criticized him saying: “It is very regrettable”, saying: “It has overthrown the important national agenda related to the life and health of the people in the face of selfish collective action.”

From medical consumers, the Korean Medical Association is calling for a strong response from the government, paying attention to improving the structure of the main health insurance voting body, the health insurance system.

Physician organizations have noted that “the solid feeling communication structure is fundamentally problematic” and have expressed their intention to increase the participation of solid feeling members.

The healthcare system consists of 24 individuals, including 8 medical providers, 8 member representatives, and 8 public interest representatives from government and academia. In the future, if participation in the medical association increases, it may exert a greater influence on the medical fee, that is, the consideration paid by health insurance to institutions that provide medical services.

The medical community had managed to raise the price by 41.5% after going through a strike during the medicine division in 2000.

Meanwhile, even if the legislative council is up and running, discussions on central policies, such as the surge in doctors, begin only after the Corona 19 situation stabilizes.

Infectious disease experts say the never-ending Crown 19 crisis will continue until at least next year. The perspective that it will be difficult to achieve results within the mandate of the current administration comes from this context.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare stressed that “it is important that we have begun to seek a solution to the problem through discussion and dialogue” about the criticism of the ‘surrender of the white flag’.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare also asked whether it would be possible to have effective consultations with the medical community, “The medical community and the government agree on the direction of improving the quality of medical care by addressing the medical gap, reorganizing the delivery system. services and improving the training environment. I’ll be able to fix it. “

[연합뉴스]

Copyright ⓒ Yonhap News. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited