Imanhee, chair of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, sharply criticized the Ministry of Health and Welfare for its inconsistent public health policies and budget allocations. He condemned the government for prioritizing the strengthening of essential public health services while only marginally increasing the related budget, calling it "wordplay."
During the afternoon questioning session of the Health and Welfare Committee on October 20, Imanhee summoned Kwak Soon-hun, director of health policy, and Lee Joong-kyu, director of public health policy. He pointed out, "The government promised to prioritize the strengthening of essential public health services, yet the budget increase for the 'Public Hospital Publicity Enhancement Project' supporting 35 local medical centers and six Red Cross hospitals was only around 3%."
He added, "Considering that the overall budget for the Ministry of Health and Welfare increased by about 9%, this is an absurd level. If there is no budget to support the strengthening of essential local medical services, it is merely wordplay."
The issue of fire hazards at the National Cancer Center also came under scrutiny. Imanhee questioned the public health policy director, asking, "Are you aware that the National Cancer Center has been found to have fire risks due to faulty switchboards?" He pressed, "If a fire occurs, will the Minister of Health and Welfare take responsibility?"
He further stated, "How can the director of public health speak of strengthening public health when he cannot even properly assess basic risks?" He demanded immediate assessment of the situation and the establishment of safety measures for medical staff and facilities, as well as a comprehensive plan to normalize regional public health services before the upcoming audit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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