- It has been a week since thousands of doctors began a labor boycott in South Korea to protest the government’s efforts to increase recruitment of medical students to cope with the rapidly aging population.
- As of Tuesday, approximately 8,940 medical interns and residents had left their workplaces in protest.
- The government has warned doctors they must return to work by Thursday or face license suspension and prosecution.
Thousands of young doctors in South Korea have refused to examine patients or participate in surgeries since they resigned on February 20 in response to the government’s medical student recruitment drive.
As of Tuesday, about 8,940 medical interns and trainees had walked off the job in protest, threatening to disrupt operations at South Korea’s major hospitals and strain the country’s overall medical service.
Now, authorities have warned him that if he doesn’t return to work by Thursday, he faces license suspension and prosecution.
South Korean doctor given 4-day grace period to return to work before indictment and suspension of medical license
Here’s what’s happening with the strike:
On February 27, 2024, members of the Korean Public Employees’ Transport Union hold a rally at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, to demand expansion of public hospitals and medical students. (AP Photo/Ahn Young Jun)
Why are doctors on strike?
The government plans to increase the annual admission capacity of Korean medical schools by 2,000 students from the current 3,058.
The registration plan aims to increase the number of doctors by up to 10,000 by 2035 in response to the rapidly aging population. According to officials, South Korea has 2.1 doctors per 1,000 people, far below the average of 3.7 in developed countries.
The striking trainees claim the school is unable to cope with the sudden increase in the number of medical students. They predict that as competition intensifies, doctors will over-treat, leading to an increase in public medical costs, and that, like current medical students, most of the additional medical students hired will be in plastic surgery, dermatology, etc. predicts that people are more likely to pursue high-paying and popular occupations. This means that long-standing physician shortages in essential but low-paid fields such as pediatrics, obstetrics and emergency departments will persist.
Some critics say the striking junior doctors are simply opposing the government’s plan because they fear that hiring more doctors will reduce their income. There is.
Ahn Cheol-soo, a doctor turned ruling party lawmaker, said on a local TV show that he supports the government’s plan. But without fundamental steps to persuade students to choose important fields, “in 10 years, 2,000 new dermatology hospitals will be established in Seoul,” Ahn said. .
What does the strike mean for patients?
In response to the strike, hospitals canceled numerous planned surgeries and other treatments. On Friday, it was reported that a man in his 80s in cardiac arrest was declared dead after seven hospitals refused her, citing a lack of medical staff and other reasons likely related to the strike. It was done.
In some large hospitals, junior doctors account for 30 to 40% of the total number of doctors, and they play roles such as supporting senior doctors during surgeries and dealing with hospitalized patients. The strikers are part of the country’s 13,000 intern doctors and trainees, who work and receive training at about 100 hospitals across South Korea.
In response to the strike, the government extended working hours at public health institutions, opened emergency rooms at military hospitals to the public, and gave legal protection to nurses to perform some medical procedures normally performed by doctors.
Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said on Tuesday that the response to seriously ill and emergency patients was largely stable. But observers say if the strike drags on or senior doctors join the strike, the country’s entire health service will be hit hard.
The Korean Medical Association, which represents about 140,000 doctors in South Korea, has firmly expressed its support for the trainee doctors, but has not yet decided whether to participate in the strike.
Park Ji-young, a South Korean spine surgeon, said senior doctors at major university hospitals are likely to go on strike in the coming days, which would “effectively collapse the management of those hospitals.” Ta.
What’s next?
Vice Health Minister Park said on Monday that the government will not seek disciplinary action if the striking doctors return to work by Thursday. However, he warned that those who miss the deadline will be subject to a minimum three-month suspension of their medical license, and will be subject to further legal action, including investigation by prosecutors and prosecution.
Still, the strikers are unlikely to back down anytime soon.
South Korea’s medical law allows the government to order doctors to return to work if it determines there is a serious risk to public health. Failure to comply with such an order could result in a medical license suspension for up to one year, up to three years in prison, or a fine of approximately $22,500. Those sentenced to prison will have their medical licenses revoked.
South Korean government warns thousands of striking doctors to return to work or face legal action
Some officials said authorities would likely limit punishment for strike leaders, fearing further strain on hospital operations.
Doctors are among the highest-paid professionals in South Korea, and the trainee strike has so far failed to gain public support, with the survey showing that around 80% of respondents disapproved of the government’s recruitment plan. It is shown that it is supported.
Kim Myung Ae, a 57-year-old cancer patient, said, “What would you do if your mother had to get an injection? It seems like it’s just happening,” he said. “They don’t care about their patients, they only care about the profits they can make as doctors in this country.”
