Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Thursday that the government is ready for talks with doctors if they propose a debate on medical reform. Cho made the remarks after a debate between the government and medical professors at Seoul National University (SNU) last week, focusing on the medical reform aimed at increasing the number of medical school freshmen. "While the government and SNU's emergency committee were unable to narrow their differences during the session, it was significant that discussions have begun in an effort to find a solution," Cho said. The government earlier decided to raise the medical school seats by 1,500 for 2025 as part of its plan to increase the number of students by around 2,000 over the next five years or so to address the shortage of doctors. Thousands of trainee doctors have been absent from their workplaces in a form of mass resignation since February, with the medical community calling for discussions on the agenda to start from scratch. Cho said the government remains op en to dialogue, noting that the medical community can propose the format, as they did the previous week. The minister, meanwhile, noted that the country's emergency medical system continues to function despite facing the challenges. As of the end of September, South Korea's general hospitals were operating at 97 percent capacity of normal levels for inpatient care and 93 percent for surgeries, according to the government data. "The government will continue its efforts to maintain emergency patient care and normalize the medical system," Cho said, adding that the government will proceed with the medical reform. Source: Yonhap News Agency