Doctors vote on medical reform plans

Medical circle has taken votes on the medical reform programs agreed between the doctors and the government as well as the tripartite accords reached between doctors, the government and pharmacists. In the meantime, interns and residents of Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Ulsan Medical College and other major medical schools have decided to return to their university hospitals in compliance with the calls of their campuses.

On Monday, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) put to the voting on the agreed doctors-government plans and the doctors-pharmacists-government accords by the KMA and the regional medical associations across the country. The results of the voting will be announced Tuesday.

As the whole, the medical circle was of the view that the reform package is not so satisfactory but it acknowledged that its demand had been partially met. Accordingly, the circle is divided into the two sides with one moving to oppose the package outrightly, while the other side hoping for the supplementation of the reform programs in the course of parliamentary deliberation of the related law revisions. In any case, it is feared that the voting result would trigger negative repercussions.

KMA chairman Kim Chae-Il told the association members that they should accommodate the draft medical reform plans as they were produced by the KMA representatives, asserting that if its members reject the plans, the action is tantamount to denying the association's representation.

Meanwhile, separately from the voting, the interns and residents will hold a meeting of their representatives on Tuesday and officially decide on whether to return to medicare service and school classes.

Earlier, interns and residents of Seoul National University and Yonsei decided to come back to the university hospitals from Wednesday. Doctors of the Asan Medical Center have decided to discontinue their strikes from Wednesday, and, accordingly, most of the nation's general hospitals are expected to be normalized within the week. Students of the medical colleges are scheduled to take votes to determine whether to return to classes from Saturday.