Doctors from 50 countries to visit Korea amid mounting essential care crisis

Doctors from 50 countries will visit Korea amid mounting concern over the increase in medical students and an essential care crisis, as the World Medical Association (WMA) holds its 226th Council meeting in Seoul from April 18 to 20.

To commemorate the occasion, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) will hold the 2024 KMA Global Forum next Tuesday, where doctors from around the world will discuss domestic issues.

The forum will be moderated by WMA President Lujain Al-Qodmani, and other current and former executives will deliver speeches.

Korean speakers will include Ahn Duck-sun, former vice president of the World Federation for Medical Education; Kim Ock-joo, head professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine; and Jung Ki-suck, president of the National Health Insurance Service. Next Wednesday, the Junior Doctors’ Network (JDN), affiliated with the WMA and supporting the Korean trainee doctors’ collective action, will hold a meeting.

It will be the third major WMA event to be held in Korea. Korea is one of the 30 Council members and serves as its chair country.

The WMA has been keeping a close eye on the situation in Korea, as the country’s physician workforce has recently come under scrutiny because of the government’s medical school enrollment and essential care policies. The WMA has informed its 112 members about the situation in Korea, and its president, Al-Qodmani, expressed concern about the government’s attitude toward the medical profession and sent his support for the KMA.

Park Jung-yul, vice chairman of KMA and head of the event’s organizing committee, met with reporters on Tuesday to reveal the event’s main contents and ask for the public’s interest and support.

The 2024 KMA Global Forum will hold an international symposium on the “Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians.” Starting with the WMA’s core mission of medical ethics, the symposium will address the social responsibility of physicians, self-regulation, and health insurance and reimbursement issues for universal healthcare coverage. Climate change is also high on the agenda. Five member countries, including Korea, will present key issues in their respective countries and discuss ways to address them. “We will make it a place for all WMA members to recognize Korea’s issues and seek collaboration and solutions,” Park said.

The meeting will also address the issues of medical school enrollment increase and mandatory CCTV installation in operating rooms.

“The government talks as if doctors in other countries don’t strike. However, physicians walked out in France and Germany as recently as last month. The U.K. also had a strike by junior doctors,” he noted. “They were just different in style from us. Taiwan and Nigeria have had problems with medical school capacity and physician manpower.”

Unlike other countries that have experienced physician shortages, Korea is in a different situation, with the government taking the lead in increasing the number of doctors. The forum will gather speakers from Asia, Africa, and Europe who have faced problems similar to ours. Park explained that the vice president of the Japanese Medical Association would also be present to introduce the Japanese case.

“The WMA aims for international standards in medical ethics and medical education, universal health coverage and optimization of care, and human rights for healthcare workers,” Park said. “The WMA and the international community will expand its radius of activity and work with healthcare providers worldwide to improve the healthcare environment and contribute to improving people’s health.”

Lee Jeong-geun, who co-chairs the organizing committee, said, “Hosting the WMA Council meeting is significant as the medical community and the government are currently at loggerheads. Governments are watching closely. I hope they will see and hear the voices of the world’s doctors without any preconceived notions.”

Do Kyung-hyun, professor of Asan Medical Center and international director at KMA, said, “We are seeing firsthand that the international community’s interest in Korea is growing as our medical standards improve. We will introduce Korea’s unique health insurance system, which is difficult to find similar examples worldwide, and share what the Korean Medical Association has been doing under this system.” KBR