Senior doctors in South Korea announced that they would resign from 25 March in support of junior medics in a nearly month-long strike over government training reforms.
A plurality of junior doctors ceased work on 20 February to protest government reforms aimed at easing the shortage of doctors by increasing the number of medical students. They say they have submitted a “letter requesting emergency intervention” to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), claiming that the government is “forcing” them into unwanted labour.
Medics say this has become the last straw for overworked and underpaid junior professionals. Doctors also fear the reform will lead to a decline in the quality of care and medical education.
Critical operations and treatments have been cancelled, but the government says the country has managed to avoid a full-fledged crisis so far partly thanks to nurses and senior doctors, as well as military medics who have been called in to help.
Bang Jae-seung, the head of the group, said representatives of medical professors from 20 universities who are also senior doctors at general hospitals held a late-night meeting yesterday at which representatives from 16 institutions “overwhelmingly voted” in favour of supporting their junior colleagues.
Professors at “each university have decided to voluntarily submit resignation letters starting from March 25th,” Bang told reporters on Saturday. Although he did not give the exact number of professors expected to resign on 25 March.
“We have reached a consensus that until the resignation is finalised, each individual should do their best in the treatment of patients in their respective positions, just as they have done so far,” he added.
The Health Ministry reiterated that negotiations over reform plans were out of the question and that it would implement health reforms “without hesitation.” The government ordered the paramedics to return to work or face prosecution and suspended their medical licences.
The government says it will enrol 2,000 more students in medical schools each year from next year to tackle what is one of the lowest doctor-to-population ratios among developed countries.
Bang said doctors cannot under any circumstances agree to an increase of 2,000 more students, “We request the government once again. Please reconsider the figure of 2,000. Without this, initiating any negotiation will be impossible.”
The reform plan has broad popular support, but a new poll by local media shows that 34 percent of people want the government to negotiate to end the standoff.
