Civic group calls for health minister’s resignation
Organization also plans to protest governor for ‘flip-flop’

In related news, one of the civic groups against the construction of that hospital has detailed the reasons for its opposition.

The organization, which opposes commercialized medicine in favor of public health services, said Friday the approval to build the for-profit hospital had opened up the way to the collapse of the nation’s public health services and degraded medical facilities into a means to generate profit. The group also lashed out at the Ministry of Health and Welfare for “giving up” on the public health service system… and called for the resignation of Health minister 정진엽 (Jeong Jin-yeop), saying he failed to keep his pledge not to push ahead with for-profit hospitals during his term in office.

Civic group members added that they would also hold a rally against Jeju Governor Won Heeryong (원희룡) for going against his word, saying he had expressed opposition to the commercialization of hospitals during his election campaign but stood at the forefront of making the latest approval possible.

{ "영리병원 강력 반대…보건복지부 장관 사퇴해야" }

보건복지부가 국내 제1호 외국계 영리병원 설립을 승인하자 시민사회단체가 반발하고 있습니다.

의료영리화 저지 의료공공성 강화를 위한 제주도민운동본부는 오늘 성명을 내고 외국계 영리병원 승인은 공공의료체계를 무너뜨리고, 의료를 돈벌이 수단으로 전락시킨 것이라며, 보건복지부는 공공의료 체계를 포기했다고 비판했습니다.

또 자신의 임기 내에는 영리병원을 추진하지 않겠다고 했다가 말을 바꾼 정진엽 보건복지부 장관의 사퇴를 촉구했습니다.

원희룡 지사 역시 영리병원 반대를 선거공약으로 내세웠지만 오히려 영리병원 추진에 앞장섰다며 앞으로 대대적인 규탄운동으로 맞서겠다고 밝혔습니다.