Seoul, Dec 1 (NationPress) A consultative group consisting of the ruling party, the government, and various doctors' associations disbanded on Sunday, merely 20 days after its inception aimed at resolving a prolonged strike by trainee doctors, as the doctors' associations chose to abstain from any further meetings.
The formation of the consultative group occurred on November 11 to tackle the medical crisis that ensued following the mass resignation of thousands of junior doctors who left their posts in protest against the government's decision to significantly increase the medical school quota, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
During the meeting on Sunday, officials from the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS) and the Korea Association of Medical Colleges announced their withdrawal from the consultative group.
"We have determined that continued negotiations are pointless as the government and the ruling party lack the commitment to resolve the existing predicament," stated Lee Jin-woo, president of KAMS.
Lee Man-hee, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party, informed the press that the medical community has advocated for alterations to the medical school quota for the upcoming year, but he expressed concerns about accommodating such requests due to the commencement of the college admission process.
"Members of the consultative group have chosen to suspend official meetings in light of the circumstances," Lee remarked, indicating uncertainty about when discussions might resume.
"However, the government and the ruling party will persist in their dialogue with the medical community," the lawmaker added.
In a related development, the newly appointed leader of South Korea's largest doctors' advocacy organization recently urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to amend his medical reforms to address the ongoing strike by trainee doctors.
Park Hyung-wook made this appeal shortly after being elected as the new head of the emergency committee of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), according to Yonhap.
"President Yoon Suk Yeol is the only individual who can modify policies to facilitate the return of trainee doctors, and without presidential changes, the issue will endure, causing continued suffering for the public amid this medical crisis," he emphasized.
