SEOUL — The South Korean government announced on Wednesday that community health centers will now be authorized to offer telemedicine services, including video and phone consultations. This move comes as a response to the ongoing strike by junior doctors, which has significantly impacted patient care at major hospitals for over six weeks. Prior to this expansion, telemedicine was available in all hospitals but not in community health centers since February 23, aimed at mitigating the disruption caused by the doctors' walkout.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the initiative will include 246 public health centers and their 1,341 branch offices nationwide. The strike, initiated by approximately 12,000 trainee doctors on February 20, has seen medical professors also participate in various forms of protest, including resignations and reduced working hours. In response to the strain on healthcare services and to accommodate the anticipated increase in medical students, the government plans to recruit an additional 1,000 medical professors. Universities have been asked to provide input on their staffing needs by the upcoming Monday, Park disclosed.