Health Woes Cost Minister His Post

President Kim Dae-jung on Wednesday appointed Kim Won-gil, a National Assembly representative for the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, as the new health and welfare minister.

Park Joon-young, presidential spokesman, described Mr. Kim as "a veteran lawmaker who has served on the National Assembly's Finance and Economy Committee and the party's policymaking committee.

"The president believes that Kim Won-gil is an appropriate person to untangle the hordes of problems that the current medical and medical insurance system carries," Mr. Park added. (Related Article, Page 2.)

Mr. Kim replaces the outgoing health and welfare minister, Choi Sun-jung, who served only eight months on the job. He took office in August, a month after last year's medical reform.

Mr. Choi was at the center of both government and public outcry for the government's failure to contain the nation's medical crisis that came with the medical reform implemented last July.

With a view to curbing the overuse of medical drugs in the nation, and to correct the often collusive link between drug companies, doctors and pharmacists over rebates, the government strictly divided the role of doctors and pharmacists.

Under the system, doctors are no longer able to dispense drugs based on their own prescriptions. In turn, pharmacists are barred from prescribing drugs. The role division, however, brought about an increase in payments made out by the national-run insurance corporation to doctors and pharmacists, which are ultimately born by patients.

The outgoing minister apologized as he expressed his intent to resign, taking responsibility for the near depletion of the nation's health insurance reserve.

"I am deeply sorry as the minister in charge of health affairs for triggering a financial crisis in the national health insurance funds," Mr. Choi said.

Describing the medical reform and integration of national health insurance systems as the "big-gest change in the history of the Korean government," the outgoing minister explained that the problems had more to do with unforeseen side-effects and confusion in implementing the changes, rather than sloppy financial management.

"The looming problems are such that they can not be solved by one man's resignation," he said, but also emphasized that his resignation was to take, not to deflect, responsibility for the policy errors.

The government admitted March 12 that the nine-month-old medical reform has brought about a rapid erosion of the country's health insurance reserve. The projected deficit of the National Health Insurance Corporation this year stands at 4 trillion won ($3.2 million).

by Park Sung-hee