医師が大規模デモ、医学部定員増に抗議 韓国

【ソウルＡＦＰ＝時事】韓国の首都ソウルで３日、大学医学部の定員引き上げをうたった政府方針に反対する医師らによる大規模な抗議デモが行われた。２週間前には方針に反発した研修医約１万人が辞表を提出するなど、医療現場は混乱に陥っている。（写真は韓国・ソウルで、政府の医学部定員引き上げ方針に反対し、抗議デモを行う医師ら）
　医学部の定員増方針は、医師不足と高齢化対策として打ち出された。政府は職場離脱者に対し、２月２９日までに復帰しなければ逮捕や医師免許停止といった法的措置を講じるとしていたが、大半の医師はこの警告を無視した。
　この日のデモでは、黒いマスクをつけた参加者が「医学部定員増反対」と書かれたプラカードを掲げた。
　大韓医師協会幹部は参加者に「政府は改革措置を一方的に推進しようとしているが、いかなる状況下でも受け入れられない」と呼び掛けた。
　保健福祉省によると、一部の主要病院では先週以降、予定されていた手術の約半分が中止された。
　韓国の法律では、医師のストは認められていない。政府は現場離脱者の捜査を警察に要請した。
　李祥敏（イ・サンミン）行政安全相はこの日、ＫＢＳテレビのインタビューで、定員増の重要性を強調。定員を６５％増やし２０００人とすることを目指す今回の方針も、医療分野の重要性を考えれば「大幅なものではない」と述べた。
　政府は、定員増計画について、先進国の中で人口当たりの医師数が最低である現状への対策だとしている。
　これに対し、医師らは定員引き上げによって医療サービスと医学教育の質が低下することを懸念。一方で、医師らは自分たちの高給と社会的地位を守るために反対していると批判する声もある。
　世論調査では、約７５％が定員増を支持している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/03/04-17:31）

Thousands of South Korean doctors protested Sunday in Seoul in an escalating standoff with the government over medical training reforms, which has seen junior doctors quit en masse, plunging hospitals into chaos.
Around 10,000 junior doctors quit and stopped working nearly two weeks ago to protest hikes to medical school admissions from next year meant to combat shortages and an ageing society.
The striking professionals have defied a February 29 government deadline for them to return to work or face legal action, including possible arrests or suspensions of their medical licenses.
The protestors wore black masks and waved signs saying: We oppose the medical school admissions increase.
The government is pushing the reforms unilaterally and that the doctors can not accept under any circumstances, Kim Taek-woo of the Korea Medical Association told the crowd of protestors.
The government is very aware of the reasons why all doctors are opposing the increase in the medical school admissions but are exploiting policies to turn doctors into slaves forever.
The mass work stoppage has taken a toll on hospitals, with crucial treatments and surgeries cancelled, prompting the government to raise its public health alert to the highest level.
Around half of the surgeries scheduled at some major hospitals have been cancelled since last week, according to the health ministry.
Under South Korean law, doctors are restricted from striking, and the government this week requested police investigate people connected to the stoppage.
While the return to work deadline has passed, the government would still exercise utmost leniency for trainee doctors if they return to work by the end of today, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said on Sunday in a KBS television interview.
But if they don't come back by today, the government will have no choice but to act sternly in accordance with laws and principles.
Lee reiterated the government's commitment to its reform plans, saying even the 65 percent increase in medical admissions isn't that large considering the importance of the healthcare sector.
- Undemocratic -
South Korea's government is pushing to admit 2,000 more students to medical schools annually from next year to address what it calls one of the lowest doctor-to-population ratios among developed nations.
Doctors fear the reform will erode the quality of service and medical education, but proponents accuse medics of trying to safeguard their salaries and social status.
Polling shows up to 75 percent of the public support the reforms.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has taken a hard line on the striking doctors -- and has seen his approval ratings tick up as the standoff drags on.
With legislative elections in April, and Yoon's party looking to win back a parliamentary majority, the government is unlikely to compromise quickly, analysts said.
But doctors have also vowed not to back down, saying the government's plan did not address the sector's real problems.
We have nowhere to retreat anymore. We will not just sit idly by the government acting undemocratic, Lee Jeong-geun, interim head of the KMA, said at the Sunday protest.