A lawmaker criticized the incumbent government's stance that a policy to strengthen health insurance coverage under the previous Moon Jae-in administration led to a fiscal crisis, saying it is "deceiving the public."Rep. Kang Eun-mi of the splinter Justice Party, a member of the National Assembly's
The medical community is cautious about adding more doctors, but the political community’s pressure is intense.After the government announced its intention to increase the medical school enrollment quota, politicians demanded that it be allocated to new medical schools.The government has decided to
The government’s loose management of psychotropic medicines, classified as narcotics, was put on the chopping block of the National Assembly’s administrative audit.Lawmakers pointed out that reasons for “medical shopping,” in which people visit 135 medical institutions a year to get sleeping anesthe
The government should expand medical personnel and hospital beds to prepare for the resurge of Covid-19 cases during the coming winter, a lawmaker said Friday."Despite the serious situation where the number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to increase, the numbers of medical personnel and d
One in four Koreans experiences mental illness at least once in their lives.Still, the share of mental health outlay in the government’s total healthcare budget falls far short of the 5 percent, as recommended by the World Health Organization, according to a report.Rep. Kang Eun-mi, a member of the
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) is contemplating the inclusion of a national immunization program (NIP) for shingles and is also examining the possibility of extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, currently available to female adolescents to their male counterpa
Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong said there is no specific timeline for expanding the medical school enrollment quota, but "the announcement could come early."Cho made the remark in response to a question from Rep. Kim Won-i of the Democratic Party of Korea at the National Assembly's min
Local diabetes experts from the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) emphasized the urgent need for government support in diabetes education as the nation experiences a surge in diabetic patients due to Westernized eating habits and various other factors.Speaking at the "2023 KDA Autumn Press Conferenc
Amid the severe problem of declining birth rates threatening national sustainability, it has emerged that over the last 10 years (2013-2022), one in three newborns have been miscarried.Seoul has shown the most alarming level nationwide, recording a miscarriage rate of 40.74 percent last year.Accordi
Out of the 45 officials at 14 health- and welfare-related agencies appointed since the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, 22 have been “parachuted into their posts,” an opposition lawmaker pointed out on Tuesday.Rep. In Jae-geun of the Democratic Party of Korea made the disclosure after ana
The financial balance of health insurance reimbursement with Chinese nationals has shown a deficit of 418.1 billion won ($310.6 million) since 2018.Rep. Choi Young-hee of the People Power Party analyzed the National Health Insurance Service (NHID)'s "Status of Health Insurance Premium Charges and Be
A lawmaker has reemphasized the need for the government to strengthen the management and supervision of foreign medical schools that grant qualifications to take the state medical license examination.Compared to other countries, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Germany, Korea has stricter st
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has participated in an international medical device regulatory consultative body to introduce domestic systems and propose joint development of international guidelines to lead international regulation on digital health, including artificial intelligence-b
The number of students with pediatric and adolescent diabetes and rare diseases is increasing, but that of health workers in elementary, middle, and high schools has decreased.Rep. Kim Young-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, released data o
The number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Korea has increased for the first time in 12 years. In particular, the number of TB patients aged 65 and more increased by over 5 percent in the first three quarters of this year from a year ago.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Thur
After medical scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) that contributed to developing a Covid-19 vaccine, civic groups here called for addressing the monopoly of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine technology.The Civil and Social Solidary fo
The number of osteoporosis patients is approaching 1.2 million a year, but the budget for developing and disseminating osteoporosis guidelines has been cut in full.Rep. In Jae-geun of the Democratic Party of Korea said so Wednesday after analyzing data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention A
In the aftermath of Covid-19, Korea's national health insurance system has attracted the attention of developing countries.The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) held the 20th International Training Course on Health Insurance from Sept. 15 to 20 with the attendance of health officials and infl
From June 2022 to May 2023, 5,997 poisoned patients visited 15 emergency medical centers in 14 cities and provinces nationwide. More than half of them were addicted to therapeutic drugs.On Wednesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) released the results of its in-depth survey o
The Korean government decided to keep the health insurance premiums unchanged at 7.09 percent for 2024 due to high inflation and interest rates. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it convened a meeting of the health insurance policy deliberation committee on Tuesday afternoon and dete