 ▲ 윤석열 정부 용산 대통령실 청사 ©뉴시스 |
대통령실이 26일 의정갈등과 간호사·간호조무사 등이 속한 보건의료노조 파업 예고에 따른 응급실 운영 차질 우려 관련해 “최근 일부 응급실에서 단축 운영 등 온전히 운영되지 못하는 사례가 발생하고 있으나 관리 가능한 상황"이라고 밝혔다.
대통령실 관계자는 이날 오후 용산 대통령실에서 취재진과 만나 "응급실 뺑뺑이는 의대 증원 문제가 불거지기 이전부터 누적된 문제"라며 "공백이 최소화되도록 정부가 다각적으로 노력 중"이라고 전했다.
그러면서 "응급실 뺑뺑이 문제는 지난 30년간 누적된 의사 부족 문제가 기본적으로 깔려있다"며 "여기에 더해 비응급·경증 응급 환자가 상급병원으로 바로 가면서 트래픽이 생기는 문제, 진료에 대한 보상이 불충분한 것 등이 복합적으로 깔려있고, 지금 이 문제를 해결않으면 앞으로도 환자·국민들 고통이 계속될 사안"이라고 말했다.
또 "의료개혁에 반대하는 분들도 있고 의대 증원 문제에 반발하는 의료계 목소리·특정 사례가 부각되면서 과장된 내용들이 과도하게 나와 국민 불안이 가중되고 있다"며 "현재 전국 408개 응급의료기관 중 24시간 진료가 불가능한 곳은 3곳인데 이 중 2곳은 다음달 1일부터 정상화될 예정"이라고 밝혔다.
이어 "나머지 한 군데가 세종충남대병원인데 응급의학과 전문의가 사직하고 나가면서 일부 제한되고 있다"며 "인력 충원 방안을 협의 중에 있고 지자체서도 적극 나서고 있어 조만간 해결 돌파구가 마련될 것"이라고 전했다.
더불어 "아주대병원 같은 곳은 응급의학과 전문의 일부가 사표를 제출했는데 진료가 제한되는 건 아니다"며 "신규 인력 충원 방안에 대해 병원·지자체·복지부가 협의 과정을 거치고 있다"고 전했다.
오는 29일 예고된 보건의료노조 파업 관련해선 "파업에 들어가지 않도록 정부가 나서 조정 노력을 하고 있다"며 "만약 파업에 들어가더라도 노조법상 응급의료·중환자 치료·수술·투석과 이를 위한 마취·진단·검사 등은 기능을 유지하게 돼 있어 병원 의료 서비스가 마비되는 상황은 아니다"고 전했다.
그러면서 "정부는 오는 27일 국무총리 주재로 관계장관회의를 열어 대책을 마련하는 한편 추석 연휴 응급의료 특별 대책을 준비해 조만간 발표 예정"이라고 밝혔다.
또 "윤석열 대통령이 이번 주 국정 브리핑에서 정부가 추진 중인 의료 개혁 과제를 설명 드릴 예정"이라며 "일단락된 증원 문제에 집착하기보다 지역·필수 의료를 살리기 위한 개혁과제를 구체화해 속도감 있게 실행해야 할 시점"이라고 말했다.
더불어 "의료 인력 확충 경우 전공의에게 의존한 상급 종합병원 구조를 개혁하고, 지역 의료 인력 육성·배치를 활성화하는 한편 1960년대 의료법 제정 이후 그대로 유지되고 있는 의료 면허 제도에 대해서도 개선 논의가 필요하다"고 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.
Office of the President: "Some emergency rooms can be managed with shortened and disrupted operations.. Normalization from September 1"
"Currently, among the 408 emergency medical institutions nationwide, there are 3 that cannot provide 24-hour treatment, and 2 of them are scheduled to return to normal operation starting next month. The government is making efforts to coordinate to prevent a strike by the Health and Medical Workers' Union."
-kihong Kim reporter
The Office of the President stated on the 26th regarding concerns about disruptions in emergency room operations due to the legislative conflict and the strike notice of the Health and Medical Workers' Union, which includes nurses and nursing assistants, that "there have been recent cases where some emergency rooms are not operating fully, such as through shortened hours, but the situation is manageable."
An official from the Office of the President met with reporters at the Presidential Office in Yongsan that afternoon and said, "The emergency room spin-off problem has been an accumulating problem since before the issue of increasing the number of medical schools was raised," and "the government is making multifaceted efforts to minimize the gap."
He added, "The issue of emergency room spin-offs is fundamentally based on the problem of a shortage of doctors that has accumulated over the past 30 years," and "In addition, there are complex issues such as the problem of non-emergency and minor emergency patients going directly to higher-level hospitals, which creates traffic, and insufficient compensation for treatment. If this issue is not resolved now, patients and the public will continue to suffer."
He also said, "There are those who oppose medical reform, and there are those who are against the issue of increasing the number of medical schools. As voices from the medical community and specific cases are highlighted, exaggerated information is being excessively released, increasing public anxiety,” he said. “Currently, out of 408 emergency medical institutions nationwide, there are three that cannot provide 24-hour treatment, and two of them are scheduled to return to normal starting next month.”
He continued, “The remaining one is Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, and some of the services are being restricted as emergency medicine specialists have resigned and left,” he said. “We are currently discussing ways to supplement personnel, and local governments are also actively taking action, so a breakthrough will be found soon.”
He also said, “Some of the emergency medicine specialists at Ajou University Hospital have submitted letters of resignation, but treatment is not being restricted,” and “The hospital, local government, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are going through a consultation process regarding new personnel supplementation plans.”
Regarding the Health and Medical Workers’ Union strike scheduled for the 29th, he said, “The government is making efforts to mediate so that there is no strike,” and “Even if there is a strike, it will be under the emergency medical and critical care He said, “It is not a situation where hospital medical services are paralyzed, as treatment, surgery, dialysis, and anesthesia, diagnosis, and testing for these services are maintained.”
He added, “The government will hold a meeting of relevant ministers chaired by the Prime Minister on the 27th to prepare measures, and will prepare special emergency medical measures for the Chuseok holiday and announce them soon.”
He also said, “President Yoon Seok-yeol plans to explain the medical reform tasks that the government is pursuing at the state briefing this week,” and “Rather than obsessing over the issue of increasing the number of patients that has been decided, it is time to specify reform tasks to save regional and essential medical services and implement them quickly.”
He added, “In the case of expanding medical personnel, it is necessary to reform the structure of upper-level general hospitals that depend on specialists, activate the training and placement of regional medical personnel, and discuss improving the medical licensing system that has remained the same since the enactment of the Medical Service Act in the 1960s.”
