Health minister Cho Kyoo-hong says sufficient discussions are needed regarding a bill on stationing doctors at rural hospitals. 

Cho made the remark during a full session of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday regarding a bill that seeks to introduce a system on providing scholarships to med school students specially selected to be fostered as “doctors for rural areas.”   

Under the envisioned system, such students, upon graduation, will be obligated to work for ten years in certain rural areas and once they meet such conditions, their medical licenses will be issued. If they fail to complete the ten-year work period, students will have to pay back their college scholarships and their medical license will be revoked. 

Citing that the scope of the bill is based on rural areas that lack doctors, the health minister said extensive discussions should be held on specifying what “lacking in doctors” means and whether the ten-year mandatory period is appropriate. 

Cho’s remarks came hours after the parliamentary health committee passed the bill with strong support from the opposition.