Hospitals are grappling with a dire shortage of resident physicians by instituting unpaid leave for their staff. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – In an unprecedented move rippling through South Korea’s healthcare system, hospitals—including the prestigious “Big 5″ medical centers in Seoul—are grappling with a dire shortage of resident physicians by instituting unpaid leave for their staff.
This drastic measure, a direct fallout from a significant decrease in patient admissions and surgical procedures, has sparked a wave of backlash among healthcare workers.
The heart of the controversy lies in the collective departure of resident physicians, which has led to a stark reduction in medical services, thereby straining hospital revenues.
Critics argue that the financial strain borne by the institutions is being unjustly shifted onto the shoulders of nurses and other hospital employees, who find themselves caught in the crossfire of a broader healthcare crisis.
On the frontlines of this unfolding situation is Seoul Asan Medical Center, which recently informed its workforce about the option of taking temporary, voluntary unpaid leave.
This policy extends to a broad swath of the hospital’s staff, from administrative workers to nurses, offering them the chance to step back from their duties for up to a month.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Seoul National University Hospital has introduced a ‘short-term unpaid special leave system’ specifically aimed at ward nurses, encouraging them to apply for weekly leave periods.
Kyung Hee Medical Center is not far behind in this trend, with its labor union confirming the acceptance of unpaid leave requests from ward staff.
This move has not gone unnoticed by the Korean Nurses Association, which has voiced concerns over what it perceives as ‘forced unpaid leave,’ citing instances where nurses are being coerced into taking time off or facing reassignment.
The Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) has been particularly vocal about the injustice of this situation, noting the undue pressure on employees in departments with decreased workloads to use their annual leave or shift to other areas.
Conversely, those in departments shouldering additional burdens are finding their leave requests denied, exacerbating an already tense situation.
The imposition of unpaid leave has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters within the medical community, with many arguing that the financial repercussions of the resident physician shortage should not fall on the backs of staff members who are not at fault for the systemic issues plaguing the healthcare sector.
Park Min-sook, the vice-chairperson of the KHMU, encapsulated the sentiments of many by asserting that the responsibility for the downturn in patient numbers and revenue lies with the hospitals themselves. She advocates for a more equitable solution, suggesting that rather than pushing for unpaid leave, institutions should offer compensation to those affected.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
