A patient organization has called for the immediate scrapping of the Ministry of Education's five-year medical curriculum plan, saying it is “adding to the confusion.”

“Stop the five-year medical school policy that only encourages conflicts,” the Korea Severe Disease Association said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We have been advocating for the normalization of medical treatment by supporting the medical school enrollment quota increase and criticizing doctors who left their patients in protest of the government policy,” the association said. “However, prolonged medical turmoil has aggravated patient suffering.”

Patients should not be the victims of conflict in this situation, but the Ministry of Education is adding to the confusion by bringing up the arbitrary five-year medical school policy, which has more to worry about than increasing the number of medical students, the patient group pointed out.

“During the administrative audit of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, it was also confirmed that there was no prior consultation between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare,” it said. “Does the government have the will to resolve the current situation? Is it just trying to stir up confusion and tangle up the medical system? We cannot trust the government anymore.”

The association called for disciplining officials responsible for proposing the five-year medical school plan and resolving the ongoing medical crisis.

“The government and the National Assembly have not come up with a proper solution to ease patients’ suffering,” it said. “The Ministry of Education should reprimand those responsible for drawing up the five-year medical school plan.”

“The government and the National Assembly should sincerely consider the 'medical school reform' policy that only adds chaos even though the people’s lives are the most dignified,” it said. “They should also ensure patient participation in healthcare-related councils that can deliver the voices of patient organizations, who are the real stakeholders.”