Around
5,000 nurses from all over the country marched to the Seoul Railway Station
from Gwanghwamoon Square.
They
raised their united voice:
“Nightingale with a hammer is required to reform the current medical
system!”
“Enact the Nursing Act to uphold people’s health and
patients’ safety!”
“Institutionalize a standard for an adequate number of
nursing staff to root out the practice that pushes a deadly intensive
labor!”
“Eradiate
the illegal medical practices and secure a sufficient number of medical
doctors!”
On
the occasion of the 51st International Nurse Day on May 12, 2022,
the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) jointly hosted a resolution
rally to urge the political community to enact the Nursing Act, for the first
time with the Korean Nurse Association (KNA).
In
the rally, the nurse protesters presented three demands: ▲ enactment of the
Nursing Act to ensure universal health ▲ an adequate ratio of the number of
patients per nurse for patients’ safety ▲ increase in the number of medical
college students and clarification on job descriptions and borders between
nurses and medical doctors to root out illegal medical practices. And they
urged the government and the National Assembly to take concrete measures to
meet the demands.
Around
5,000 rally participants include nurses from the KHMU, the KNA as well as students
of nursing major from nationwide.
With
Song Keum-hee, General Secretary of the KHMU being a moderator, the
rally began with a silent tribute to COVID-19 victims and medical staff. President
Na Soon-ja at the KHMU said in her remarks, “Nightingale
lifted
not only a light but also a hammer, 170 years ago. We nurses should demand
institutional reform for lives of patients and when our voices are not heard,
then, we must be ready to fight.”
She
also added, “Last year, with a sense of urgency, around 80,000 union members
joined in the general strike and eventually reached a historic September 2
Government – Labor Agreement, which includes institutionalization of the number
of patients per nurse, improvement in work shift system, deployment of
education and training-dedicated nurses, and eradication of illegal medical
practices.” In addition, she emphasized the importance of legal ground such as
a nursing act to fundamentally resolve the current challenges.
The
President Shin Gyeong-rim at the KNA also shared the same position as Presdient
Na’s at the KHMU, firmly insisting that no more controversies are needed but
only a fast legislation of the Nursing Act should be the answer. Plus, she also
added, “The government should invest in nurse education to raise qualified and
skillful nurses, provide adequate remuneration as well as decent working
conditions and engage nurses in every policy-making process. Also, the new
administration must implement the conclusion of the September 2 Agreement,
which is endorsed by the society.”
Nursing
major students and in-service nurses also added their words to the two
presidents’ remarks. Lee Sun-Ah, a nurse at the National Medical Center said,
“Nothing changed from 10 years ago in hospitals. One nurse should take care of
over 20 patients at once. Having a lunch as scheduled is not something that we
can even imagine. Worse more, we are struggling under such a heavy pressure as
we also have to work on some of the jobs that medical doctors are supposed to
carry out. In addition, in the COVID-19 circumstance, we nurses were forced to work
like a moving center, a cleaner, a doctor, a delivery driver, and even a funeral
guide. What’s wrong with a nurse working just as a nurse and a doctor doing its
own jobs? I can’t understand why they have been opposing legislation of a
nursing act which will serve to ensure patients’ safety. The government and the
President should support enactment of the Nursing Act as promised.”
Then,
after a symbolic ceremony of breaking a large gourd, nurses marched for about
2.5km to Seoul Railway Station from Gwanghwamoon Square, passing Sungnyemun
Gate, holding white and purple balloons with the words ‘Enactment of Nursing
Act’ written on them.
