SEOUL – Amid a nationwide strike by trainee doctors, more than 700 civilians have received medical treatment at military hospitals, the Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday. The influx of civilian patients comes as military hospitals opened their emergency rooms to the public in response to the healthcare service disruption caused by the ongoing strike.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Since the full-scale opening of military hospital services to civilians in mid-February, a total of 768 patients have sought care, with 397 treated at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam alone. According to the defense ministry, 138 of these patients required hospitalization or surgery, including 66 who underwent emergency operations. Notably, a woman in her 70s received emergency surgery following a bicycle accident on April 3. During a recent visit to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo highlighted the government's intent to direct severe trauma cases to military facilities, recognizing their capacity to handle such critical treatments.