SEOUL — Trainee doctors from five major general hospitals in Seoul were poised to submit their collective resignation on Monday, in a dramatic protest against the government's proposal to significantly increase medical student enrollment. This move signals a heightening of tensions between healthcare professionals and the government, amid warnings of a possible large-scale strike and other forms of protest.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision to resign en masse comes as a direct response to the government's plan to raise the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 next year, a substantial increase from the current 3,058 seats. This has sparked concerns among medical professionals about the potential implications for the healthcare system.
The trainee doctors, employed at Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, are also planning to walk off their jobs on Tuesday. These hospitals are crucial in providing care for patients with serious conditions, highlighting the potential impact of the protest on public health services.
The government has issued a stern warning against the collective actions of doctors, emphasizing the critical importance of maintaining patient safety. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, in a statement released on Sunday, urged doctors to avoid engaging in collective action that could create a healthcare vacuum, underscoring the potential harm to the public and the unacceptable risk of compromising people's lives and health.
The standoff reflects the deepening rift between healthcare workers and the government over policy decisions affecting the medical education and healthcare system in South Korea.
SEOUL — Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced on Monday that the South Korean government will fully implement telemedicine services in response to a potential walkout by doctors protesting against plans to increase medical school admissions. The move comes as thousands of trainee doctors, particularly residents at Seoul's major general hospitals, are threatening to resign en masse, a situation that could significantly disrupt hospital operations and patient care.According to Yonhap News Agency, the collective action by doctors is in protest of the government's decision to add 2,000 slots to the medical school enrollment quota for the next year, an increase from the current 3,058 seats. Han emphasized that the government's expansion of non-contact medical consultations aims to ensure that patients with chronic and mild conditions can access medical care without difficulty during the strike. Additionally, Han disclosed plans to designate 409 hospitals with emergency rooms to be on emergency alert to mitigate the impact on emergency patient care.
The potential strike and the government's response underscore the tensions between healthcare professionals and policy makers over the direction of medical education and healthcare provision in South Korea.