[관련기사=제41대 의협회장 이필수 당선인은 누구..."투쟁보단 최선의 협상, 화합하는 리더"]

How would you describe Lee Pil-Soo who is the 41st chairman-elect of Korean Medical Association…“A leader who negotiates and unites in the best way rather than struggles” 

Lee Pil-Soo who is the Chairman of Jeonlanam-do Medical Association and the Vice Chairman of the Korean Medical Association, was elected as the 41st chairman of Korean Medical Association. The members selected a leader who is able to negotiate with the Government and National Assembly and who also is able tounite the medical community against the unpredictable Medical Association that is going only one way of struggles.

As the National Election Commission of the Korean Medical Association counts the votes of the final ballot for the Chairman at 7pm on the 26th, the candidate Lee Pil-Soo has won the first place by winning 12,431 votes(52.54%) of the total 23,665 votes. Candidate Lee got 12,109 votes of the total 23,007 votes from the electronic voting and 322 votes of the total 658 votes from the mail voting. 

Lee Pil-Soo has been named as the first Chairman of the Korean Medical Association who graduated from the local medical school. The president-elect, Lee, was born in 1962, graduated from the Medical School in Chonnam National University, and completed the thoracic surgery residency in Masan Korea Hospital(Samsung Changwon Hospital). He was the former interim chairman of People’s Health Protection in Korean Medical Association and the Head of Election Planning Team in his 20’s. He is currently serving 2 terms as the Chairman of Jeonlanam-do Medical Association, served as the Vice Chairman of the Korean Medical Association, and a special committee chairman promoting small and medium-sized hospitals.

Lee said, “Struggle is important, but I will negotiate with the government confidently to gain practical benefits and make a legitimate medical association that the doctors can voice out their opinions. 

His main pledges are ▲appointing the director and department handling members’ complaints ▲Composition of support team for victims of Covid-19 ▲Composition of legal support team to disputegovernment policies▲Stoppingso called “four major evils(public medical school, expansion of the number of medical students, remote medical treatments, and insurance benefits for the oriental medicines) ▲Strengthening the financial support for the private hospitals and medical clinics performing in the public sectors ▲Establishing primary care-driven medical communication system ▲Reinforcing the essential medical support and improving the regional medical system ▲Conversion to the appropriate medical fee, appropriate insurance benefits, and appropriate burden ▲Improving political influence of the Korean Medical Association. 

As the first key pledge, Lee emphasized “Struggle is important, but I will negotiate with the government confidently to gain practical benefits and make a legitimate medical association that the doctors can voice out their opinions.” 

The chairman Lee said “Second, I will make the medical association that the members are the owners. I value each member of the association who are pay doctors, doctors of private clinics, residents and I will come forward to represent their rights and interests. I will actively take care of the members so that they can feel proud as members.”

He emphasized, “There arelots of disagreements and splits in the medical community, but I will be a harmonious leader who can unite the medical community and integrate the regions to elicit the voice of the medical community. Also, as a leader of medical community, I will lead the medical association by making one team with Tangpyeong Policy regardless of the regions.

He has always been an open-minded leader. The pledge made for the 2015 election of the Jeonlanam-do medical association was “to make his mobile phone be available for 24 hours.” His goal was to solve the problem himself and respond within 24 hours whenever there was a complaint. Lee said “I’ve been working really hard for the association. I had been the first one to help the members than anyone else. As a result, Jeonlanam-do medical association had the highest payment rate of the membership fees among the medical associationsnationally for thepast six years. The rate is still over 95 percent.

Lee said “I will ensure that the members are respected in the society and I will try to createthe medical association that will make the doctors feel valued as medical professionals.” 

By Sol Im