”We demand that interns return to hospitals”... Patient and civic groups support court decision = South Korea

Regarding the court's rejection of the application to suspend the implementation of the increase in medical schools' enrollment, patient groups stated that they respect the judicial decision and call for the medical community to immediately return to negotiations with the government.
The Korean Federation of Serious Diseases, which is made up of six organizations including the Korean Cancer Patients' Rights Council, released a statement on the 16th saying, "We accept the judicial decision and will end any further disputes and conflicts."
The federation stressed that the professors who had teased the readjustment of their working hours at the time of the dismissal decision should not be allowed to continue in the lawsuit, saying, "They are not following through on the lawsuit that they themselves filed, and are holding patients hostage and dominating the law and the judiciary."
Another patient group, the Korean Patients' Association, also said, "Patients and the public continue to suffer as a result of this medical crisis. Patients are
"We just hope that medical care will be normalized as soon as possible so that no further damage occurs," they said in a statement. Civil society groups in the health care field have also welcomed the court's decision and are urging for the normalization of medical care.
The Citizens' Alliance for Economic Justice said, "The dismissal was a natural result, and while taking into consideration the protection of the right to education of the medical students among the applicants, it was extremely wise to determine that the increase in the number of students would have a significant impact on the public welfare.
"The judiciary also found no flaws in the promotion of the policy. Therefore, the medical community should stop its illegal actions, return to the side of patients, and participate sincerely in the social debate on medical reform," he said.
The National Healthcare Industry Workers' Union, which is made up of many workers from training hospitals, said, "Stopping the implementation of the increase in medical school enrollment will have an impact on the public welfare of medical reform through the increase in enrollment.
"The intent of the court's ruling that 'there is a risk of adverse effects on the medical community' is completely justified," he said. "Residents (medical interns), professors, and students should stop being stubborn about the increase in the number of students at medical schools and stop their collective actions."
While patient and civic groups urged the medical community to "return to the field and normalize medical care," they also called on the government to engage in dialogue with the medical community and promote swift and appropriate medical reform.
The Korea Patients' Association said, "The decision to increase the number of medical school staff, which is now virtually certain, should be a step toward creating a patient-centered medical environment. It will not only improve the current medical workforce but also the future generation of medical personnel."
"I ask that you prepare concrete measures to ensure that available medical personnel are appropriately allocated to essential intensive care, community medical care, and public medical care."
The Korea Critical Care Association said, "The government is ignoring the right of patients to health.
"I ask that you convey to the medical community the fact that the disease is spreading and that the core issue is treating patients, and prepare various methods to persuade residents and medical professors to return to the medical field."
The health union said, "The government must respect doctors as partners in health reform, rather than demonizing them or treating them as targets for submission, and must act quickly and without prolonging the 'strong against strong' situation.
"We must create an environment for frank dialogue and negotiation in order to normalize medical treatment and promote proper medical reform."