More than 7,000 medical doctors gathered in central Seoul on Sunday to protest against “Moon Jae-in Care”-- a set of health care policies proposed by the current government -- claiming that the measures would put all Korean patients “in danger” if they are implemented.

“Moon Jae-in care” refers to the 30.5 trillion won ($28.24 billion) plan to have the state-run National Health Insurance cover 70 percent of the cost of medical treatment for all Koreans, including costly treatments such as ultrasound and MRI.

The Korean Medical Association, the largest body of medical doctors in Korea, has been fiercely protesting against the initiative, saying that it could undermine hospital management unless it comes with a raise in medical service fees. 

Small hospitals, clinics and general hospitals also have been arguing that the government’s health insurance reform plan would result in the overcrowding of emergency rooms. They have argued that smaller clinics and hospitals would lose their patients to general hospitals.

Tension between the KMA and the Ministry of Welfare escalated when three medical professionals accused of medical negligence that authorities believe led to the deaths of four newborns at a hospital in Seoul were taken into custody in March.

In December, four premature babies at Ewha Womans University Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit died of sepsis one after another within a span of less than 90 minutes.

Authorities believe that one of the nurses violated sanitary regulations while preparing lipid-based supplements for injection. Doctors, one of whom was arrested, were accused of neglecting their duties, including overseeing infection control measures in the neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital.

The KMA has been arguing that it is unfair for the authorities to only blame medical professionals for the deaths of the newborns. The organization says under the current system, most hospitals are extremely understaffed and this makes it impossible for medical professionals to properly care for their patients, especially those in intensive care units.

“We were insulted as we were made to witness our colleagues being criminally charged and arrested after being blamed for the things that were in fact caused by the lack of proper system for patients in intensive care units,” said Choi Dae-jib, the president of the KMA, during the rally on Sunday.

“Moon Jae-in care must stop now. It is an unrealistic initiative that will only put patients in danger.”

However, not all doctors agree with the KMA. An organization that aims for free public health care system in Korea, whose members include doctors and pharmacists as well as religious figures, criticized KMA for its “selfish” acts.

“We believe more treatments should be covered by the National Health Insurance, even more so than what the Moon Jae-in care plans to cover,” the organization said in a statement last week.

“The KMA should stop making its scare rhetoric that make people think that the current initiative by the government is going to ruin our health care system. We need to have more people covered, rather than ensuring that the hospitals can make more money.”

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)