"We don¡¯t like both doctors and the gov¡¯t!¡±

On Friday, outpatient treatments at large hospital have stopped, and a large number of town clinics participated in the suspensions and cessations of operations. The total re-cessations of medical circles and the medical vacuum situation have become a reality. As a result, the discomforts and dissatisfactions of patients have reached its extreme.

Citizens are furious at not only the medical circles who got accustomed to cessations of operations regardless of the lives of patients but also the government that has driven the situation to this extreme state. In the meantime, major civil groups, including People`s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and Citizen`s Coalition for Economic Justice, have decided to claim damages from the Korean Medical Association. Citizens` resistance movements against the great medical commotion these days have become fierce.

Following the decision by the Korean Medical Association and the Medical Rights Acquisition Struggle Committee to not accept the government`s health and medical development measure on the previous day, a great number of town clinics did not treat patients.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it has been totalized that among the 19,522 town clinics nationwide, 11,672 clinics, 59.8% of the total, participated in the suspensions of medical examinations. This was lower than the 92.3% rate of suspensions of medical examinations by town clinics on the first day of closures of operations on the first day of past June.

Also, as a result of the professors at medical colleges withdrawing from outpatient treatments, most of the outpatient treatments at large-size hospitals stopped, and the sickbed operation rate of major hospitals dropped to 50%-60%. Yonsei University`s medical college professors have decided to deny treatment starting August 12, and Korea University`s medical college professors beginning August 14. Hanyang University`s medical college professors totally entered into a cessation of outpatient treatments beginning this day, making patients who came to the hospital turn back with resentment upon hearing the news about the cessation of operation.

On this day, due to the suspension of medical examinations by the medical circles, there were 20%-30% more patients than usual from the morning at national and public hospitals, public health centers, and emergency rooms of hospitals, which gave normal medical examinations and treatments, thereby causing confusion. And, the amount of time that patients had to wait was made longer by over 2 times.

However, most of the small- to medium-sized hospitals, with sizes of 100 to 400 sickbeds, such as Hankook Hospital, Seran Hospital, Pangjigeo Hospital, and Ducksan Hospital, gave normal medical examinations and treatments. And, some town clinics participated in medical examinations and treatments.

Meanwhile, the Medical Rights Acquisition Struggle Committee convened a Central Committee Meeting in the evening on this day and discussed the issue of forming an emergency measures body. And, as they plan to convene a nation-wide doctors` mass meeting at Chung-Ang University at 5:00 p.m. on August 12 to harden the resolution for struggle, it is a cause for concern that the cessation of operations situation will go long-term.

Civil groups to participate in citizens` movements:

The Citizens` Movement Headquarters for the Settling Down of the Separation of Pharmacy and Clinic convened a Management Committee Meeting on this day and sought for countermeasures. A related source at the Civilians` Movement Headquarters said that it has been decided to pursue legal countermeasures to question the criminal responsibilities and to claim damages resulting from the doctors` denial of examinations and treatments.

Together with this, the Citizens` Movement Headquarters plans to pursue a movement of denial of payment of medical insurance fees, a movement of denial of treatment expenses which were raised this time, make protest visits to hospitals, send out protest letters, post stickers, etc.

Mr. Choi (aged 17) who has been hospitalized at the Seoul National University Hospital said that he is suffering from pain because although he got hospitalized as his neck bone broke he is not receiving appropriate treatment, and that he is dubious whether the doctors would do the same if their family members were so hurt.

Government conversation continues:

On this day, Choi Sun-Jung, Minister of Health and Welfare said that he will meet various entities, including the Korean Medical Association, the Medical Rights Acquisition Struggle Committee, specialist doctors, full-time doctors, medical college professors, etc, as there is not one channel for conversation with medical circles.

Minister Choi, however, showed reluctance regarding the medical circles` having the releases and cancellations of searches of their leaders as a precondition, saying that it is a matter for the judiciary authorities and, therefore, he does not have any authority. Also, regarding the demand for a memorandum for re-amendment of the Pharmacists` Legislation, Minister Choi said that the law will be amended if needed and that a minister is not in a position to promise an amendment of a law.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare decided to, with the help of the Ministry of Defense, dispatch military doctors and public health doctors to national and public hospitals, open 19 military hospitals nationwide to private citizens, and open emergency rooms of emergency medical institutions to non-emergency patients. Also, it was decided to provide information through the 119 emergency phone number, and extend the working hours of Korean medicine hospitals and drug stores to 10 p.m.