620,000 nurses in ‘rejection of the Nursing Act’ “joined one party per person…judgment of power in the general election”
“If they defeat us on May 25, (the plenary session is held), April 10, 2024 will be our future. If we deny the Nursing Act, the Nursing Association’s general election planning team will become an ‘arrow’ and aim for our enemies. will be.”
These are the words of Park Joon-yong (27, 4th year of the Department of Nursing, Pusan Health College), CEO of the ‘Next Generation Nursing Leader’, which is composed of nursing students across the country. He said this at a rally against the exercise of the right to veto the enactment of the Nursing Act held by the Korean Nursing Association on the afternoon of the 19th in the Gwanghwamun area.
On the 16th, after President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised the right to request reconsideration of the Nursing Act, the Nursing Act was again put to a vote at the plenary session of the National Assembly. It is a warning that if the Nursing Act is rejected, 620,000 nurses will join forces and exercise their influence in the general elections next year.
In fact, the Korean Nursing Association talked about ‘April 10, 2024 (the 22nd National Assembly election day)’ at the rally that day, and launched a general election planning team in 16 provinces. The Nursing Association said, “500,000 nurses and 120,000 nursing college students will participate in the upcoming general election vote and judge the corrupt politicians who overlaid the Nursing Act with the frame of evil law.” I will support politicians who do and actively participate in legal political support.”
They emphasized, “We will surely judge the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who condemned the Nursing Act as a bad law and led to the presidential veto
.”
Nurses gather at President Yoon’s ‘exercise of veto of the Nursing Act’
On this day, a large number of nurses, from those who have just entered nursing college to elderly nurses, attended the rally. The organizers said, “We estimate that 50,000 people attended.”
Participants in the rally who matched the dress code in white T-shirts and mint-colored masks held placards with the words ‘Nursing Act’ in their hands and said, “Let’s judge the power of other people in the general election”, “Condemn the power of the people who ignore public health”, ” Responsible for rejecting the Nursing Act, the Ministry of Health and Welfare should wake up.” The procession of attendees continued in front of the Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Gwanghwamun, all the way to City Hall Plaza.
At the rally, Kim Yeong-kyung, chairman of the Nursing Association, said, “The reason why President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised his right to veto the Nursing Act on May 16 is because the People’s Power and the Ministry of Health and Welfare suggested the president the right to veto based on the false claims of groups opposed to the Nursing Act.” The power of the people broke the promise of enacting the Nursing Act, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare took the lead in spreading fake news of the Nursing Act.”
Chairman Kim said, “We will resist the unfair exercise of public power, and the people who have been deprived of the right to enjoy better nursing care due to the president’s veto have the right to know the truth.” “, he emphasized.
Next, Chairman Kim said, “We will regain our justification and justification for only doing nurse work through the Nursing Act,” and asked, “Please strongly reject illegal work orders that occur in the medical field.” On the 17th, the Nursing Association started a ‘law-compliance struggle’ in which only nurses’ duties stipulated in the law were carried out. It means that they will not do proxy prescriptions, blood sampling, and ultrasound tests, which have been illegally done according to the doctor’s instructions.
Nurse Seo Dong-hyun, who stood at the lectern at the rally, said, “Prescribing substitutes, requesting meals, transporting (patients), preparing medicines, mixing fluids… How many tasks do our nurses have to do?” Should the nurses below be sacrificed?” he raised his voice. Nurse Seo said, “It was the desire of young nurses to clarify the scope of work in the Nursing Act,” and appealed, “How can nurses who are not legally protected work?”
He said, “Nurses who are not here are taking care of patients by the side of patients, and whenever the country was in a medical crisis, nurses stood by the people.” It will change the future of health care.”
Lieutenant Colonel Kim Young-hee, who worked as a nursing officer in the military for 21 years, also stood at the lectern and said, “Does the Medical Association worry about the phrase ‘community’ (in the Nursing Act), or does the Korean medical system collapse with just this phrase?” It is not a scramble for medical treatment, it is for community medical recipients who are in a blind spot.”
Lieutenant Colonel Kim said, “If doctors can’t visit door to door and provide direct treatment, we shouldn’t oppose the Nursing Act.” He criticized that it blocked the benefits that patients in society could receive through the Nursing Act.” He shouted, “Let’s start over,” saying, “Although we are being persecuted right now, we need the unity of nurses who shine in difficult times with the pride of being nurses who are medical personnel who share their pain and suffering by the side of patients.”
Meanwhile, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to hold plenary sessions on the 25th and 30th. The agenda for reconsidering the enactment of the Nursing Act is scheduled to be put to a vote at the plenary session at this time. In order for a bill requested for reconsideration to be passed again, a majority must be present and two-thirds or more of the members present must be in favor. As the power of the people with 115 seats has gathered the party’s opinion with a vote, the Nursing Act enactment bill is highly likely to be scrapped.