Regarding the ‘4-party consultative body of the ruling and opposition parties’ proposed by People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon on the 6th, Senior Secretary to the President for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon said, “I hope that (the medical community) will make good use of it and that those with representative power will actively participate.”
Chief Jang appeared on YTN that afternoon and when asked, “Can we understand this as accepting the 4th consultation body’s proposal?” he said, “You can understand it that way.”
Chief Jang said, “The medical community is divided into many groups, including residents, medical students, and professors, so it was difficult to gather opinions even within that group.”
He continued, “It was difficult to build consensus and come up with an agreement with us, but the proposed consultative body includes both the ruling and opposition parties,” and asked for participation in the four-party consultative body.
However, when asked who he thinks is a representative figure in the medical community, Chief Jang said, “It’s hard to point out anyone,” and added, “Hopefully, it will be an organization that represents the voices of medical residents and medical students who have left the medical community.”
“Because they are the ones most directly involved in this issue,” said Chief Jang. “I hope that organizations or people who can convey their voices will come in.”
When asked, “The Office of the President has expressed a positive position on the proposal for the 4th consultative body. Can we understand this as acceptance?” Chief Jang stated, “You can understand it that way.”
Regarding Representative Han’s proposal to postpone and reexamine the increase in medical school enrollment for the 2026 school year, he said, “We will discuss it if the medical community comes up with a reasonable plan without being bound by the number of 2,000.”
He added, “If the ruling and opposition party consultative body is formed as proposed today, sufficient discussion will be possible if a representative of the medical community comes forward and presents a reasonable plan.”
Chief Jang left open the possibility of linking the relationship with the doctor supply and demand discussion body within the Special Committee on Medical Reform under the President if a four-party consultative body is formed.
He said, “The ruling and opposition party consultative body is a body where people with representative power gather to discuss and make decisions,” and “How reasonable (the number of members) is can be linked and utilized at lower levels.”
He also said, “Of course, we will have to form a consultative body to know for sure, but the government is in the process of forming a (supply and demand discussion body), so I think there will be more synergy if we utilize them together.”
Regarding the issue of military doctors who were deployed to fill the gap in emergency medical services and are unable to perform their duties and are returning, Chief Jang said, “We will support them so that they can work by resolving differences of opinion through consultations with the hospital, but if they say ‘it won’t work’, we will have to replace them with new alternatives.”
Meanwhile, Chief Jang refuted criticism that the government’s recently announced pension reform plan has a minimal income replacement effect, saying that it should not be viewed cross-sectionally.
He said, “We are also trying to reform the devices that can be supplemented with basic pension, retirement pension, and private pension,” and “I believe that such devices can ultimately be a ‘win-win’ for both parties because they contain content that guarantees a slightly thicker income in retirement.”
Reporter Kim Jeong-hyeon Photo News 1
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2024-09-06 17:03:38