▲ 윤석열 정부 용산 대통령실 청사 <사진:뉴시스>

대통령실이 12일 의과대학 정원 확대에 반발한 의사 단체의 집단행동 움직임 관련해 "의대 증원은 지금 돌이킬 수 없는 지경으로 단체 행동은 명분없다"며 자제를 촉구했다.

대통령실 고위 관계자는 이날 용산 대통령실에서 기자들과 만나 "의대 정원 관련해선 오래전부터 논의가 있었고, 그럼에도 한 걸음 더 진전하지 못하는 측면이 있다"며 "지금은 돌이킬 수 없는 지경에 이르지 않았나 생각한다"고 밝혔다.

그러면서 "이미 여러 많은 징후가 있었고 응급실 뺑뺑이·소아과 오픈런은 애 가진 사람은 누구나 경험하는 당면 문제"라며 "얼마 전 우리나라 최대 대학 병원에서 간호사가 뇌수술 받지 못해 병원서 결국 사망한 것을 계기로 필수의료 분야의 심각성을 많은 분들이 인식케 됐고 누구에게나 언제나 일어날 수 있는 상황이 분명해졌다"고 강조했다.

또 "의대 정원 늘리자는 의미는 정권 차원을 떠나 지속로 이뤄진 것들로 의사들도 대승적으로 협조해야 한다 생각한다"며 "40년 동안 변호사는 10배, 의사 수는 3배 늘었다. 소득이 증가하면 증가할 수록 전문직역 숫자는 증가하게 마련인데 의사 수는 필요한 만큼 늘어나지 못해 시급한 상황"이라고 전했다.

더불어 "의약분업으로 2006년부터 오히려 정원이 350명 줄었고 18년 동안 그대로 놔둬도 6500명 늘어날 정원이 오히려 줄었다"며 "정부는 2000명을 지금부터 늘려나가도 부족하다는 게 의료 현실로 의사들 집단행동은 분명 자제돼야 하며 정부는 최대한 준비하고 의사들과 대화하고 설득해 나갈 것"이라고 덧붙였다.

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation

President's Office: "There is no turning back in increasing the number of medical schools...there is no justification for group action by doctors."

“There are already many signs… emergency room hit-and-run, pediatric open-run, immediate problems that everyone with children experiences.”

-kihong Kim reporter 

On the 12th, the President's Office urged restraint regarding the collective action movement of doctors' groups opposing the expansion of medical school seats, saying, "The expansion of medical schools is now at a point of no return, so there is no justification for group action."

A high-ranking official from the President's Office met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on this day and said, "There has been discussion for a long time regarding the number of medical school seats, and even so, there are aspects in which further progress has not been made. I think we have reached a point of no return now." He said.

He said, "There were already many signs, and emergency room hit-and-runs and pediatric open-runs are immediate problems experienced by anyone with a child." He added, "Not long ago, a nurse at Korea's largest university hospital died in the hospital after failing to receive brain surgery, which led to the need for essential medical care." “Many people have become aware of the seriousness of the field, and it has become clear that this situation can happen to anyone at any time,” he emphasized.

He also said, “The meaning of increasing the number of medical school students is something that has been achieved continuously regardless of the government level, and I think doctors should also cooperate in a big way.” He added, “Over the past 40 years, the number of lawyers has increased tenfold and the number of doctors has increased threefold. The number increases as income increases. “The number of specialized positions is bound to increase, but the number of doctors cannot increase as much as needed, so it is an urgent situation,” he said.

In addition, "Due to the division of medicine, the number of people has been reduced by 350 since 2006, and even if left as is for 18 years, the number of people who would have increased by 6,500 has actually decreased," he said. "The government is facing a medical reality that even if it increases the number of people by 2,000 from now, it will not be enough. Collective action by doctors is necessary." “It clearly must be restrained, and the government will prepare as much as possible and talk with doctors and persuade them,” he added.