The South Korean government plans to permit foreign doctors to practice medicine in the country. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) – Bracing for a prolonged shortage of medical personnel due to the collective resignation of thousands of resident physicians, the South Korean government plans to permit foreign doctors to practice medicine in the country, according to government officials and sources from medical circles.
The move to introduce foreign doctors follows the government’s efforts to institutionalize nursing assistants known as physician assistants (PAs) through new nursing legislation.
It is seen as a policy to establish “doctor substitutes” to prevent the nation’s health care policies from being disrupted by collective actions by physicians.
Doctors who have been staging collective actions demanding measures such as a reversal of planned increases to medical school admissions have fiercely criticized the plan to bring in foreign doctors, accusing the government of treating the public as “experimental subjects.”
On May 8, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it would accept public comments until May 20 on proposed revisions to the enforcement rules of the Medical Service Act.
Under the proposed changes, foreign medical professionals would be allowed to provide medical support services deemed necessary by the health minister during times of severe health care crisis, such as the current “serious” alert level.
The government raised the health care crisis alert to the highest “serious” level on February 23, after resident physicians began en masse resignations on February 19.
“This is an effort to respond to potential medical workforce shortages and protect the health and lives of the public during a health care crisis,” explained a ministry official.
As the medical crisis has dragged on, the government has been continuously bolstering its emergency medical system, considering the possibility of a prolonged shortage.
The number of PAs grew around 2010 in response to doctor shortages, with an estimated over 10,000 currently working nationwide. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The latest move to introduce foreign doctors is viewed as a long-term strategy to establish “doctor substitutes,” following the government’s push to legally recognize PAs through new nursing legislation.
Earlier this month, lawmakers submitted revised versions of three nursing-related bills to the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.
The bills would allow qualified nurses, including PAs, to provide medical support under the comprehensive guidance or delegation of doctors.
If enacted, the new nursing law would bring PAs, who have been operating in a legal gray area by unofficially assisting doctors with surgeries, examinations, and procedures, into the official medical system.
The number of PAs grew around 2010 in response to doctor shortages, with an estimated over 10,000 currently working nationwide.
Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), harshly criticized the government’s plan, posting on Facebook: “Where are you going to park the chartered plane to bring in doctors from underdeveloped countries?”
Lim’s comment about a chartered plane was a jab at Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo, who had remarked in March that if doctors all resigned due to collective action, the government would “charter planes if necessary to send patients abroad for treatment.”
In an interview, Lim said, “Our medical system is so advanced that people come to learn from us,” adding, “Are the public experimental subjects to be treated by low-quality doctors? The government must be out of its mind.”
Some citizens expressed concerns about potential language barriers when receiving treatment from foreign doctors.
“I would be willing to receive care from foreign doctors if they are properly qualified,” said Kim, a 36-year-old office worker in Seoul’s Seocho district.
“But I am worried about miscommunications or not receiving proper treatment due to language issues.”
Similarly, Oh, a 65-year-old resident of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said, “If they are adequately qualified, I would see foreign doctors, but I am concerned about the language barrier.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
