Medical staff are busier in the emergency room of a university hospital in Daegu, South Korea, on Feb. 29, the day the government set a deadline for resident doctors to return. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – The prolonged absence of resident doctors across South Korea has left remaining medical staff, particularly professors and attending physicians, grappling with an unsustainable workload.
A physician from the emergency medicine department of a Seoul hospital who wished to remain anonymous shared his current state of distress, revealing that his daily routine now extends to 14-hour shifts without a moment’s rest.
The tasks once handled by resident doctors, such as obtaining surgical consents, inserting catheters, and paperwork, have all fallen onto his shoulders, pushing the limits of what the hospital can manage even with a reduced number of patients.
On what was supposed to be the deadline set by the government for the return of striking resident doctors, the majority remained steadfast in their stance, leaving the overwhelming burden on the shoulders of the remaining medical staff, including fellows and professors.
Concerns are mounting that major hospitals might soon face a ‘burnout’ crisis if the situation persists.
Five professors contacted by reporters unanimously voiced their alarm, indicating an impending crisis due to the fatigue of the remaining medical staff covering for the absent residents.
Nurses are busy taking care of patients at a hospital in Seoul on Feb. 27, 2024, when the health ministry announced a measure to allow them to conduct some roles of doctors under legal protection to fill the medical vacuum caused by a prolonged walkout by nearly 10,000 trainee doctors protesting against the government’s plan to increase the number of medical students. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Another professor from a Seoul-based hospital’s emergency medicine department expressed a sense of desperation, stating, “The situation is critical across all essential medical departments, and it’s uncertain how much longer we can hold on.”
The government’s proposed deadline for the return of the absent resident doctors has not prompted a significant change, with a vast majority of the over 9,000 striking residents across 100 training hospitals nationwide still away from their duties.
The absence of these doctors has escalated the operational challenges in emergency rooms and major hospitals, with instances of patients being shuttled between hospitals due to staff shortages, further straining the healthcare system.
Hospital directors from major institutions, including Seoul National University Hospital, have made heartfelt appeals to their resident doctors, urging them to return to their duties to address the growing waitlists of patients in need of medical care.
Despite these pleas, the signs of residents returning remain minimal, with only a handful expressing intentions to come back, largely dependent on the resolution of the ongoing standoff between the medical community and the government.
The government is set to initiate legal proceedings against resident doctors who do not return to work starting March 4, marking a critical juncture in this healthcare crisis.
As the standoff continues, the toll on the remaining medical staff and the potential risk of medical errors due to fatigue and overwork loom large, highlighting the urgent need for a resolution to restore normalcy in hospitals and ensure patient safety.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
