A doctor enters Severance Hospital in Seoul on June 27, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jun. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Medical professors serving as senior doctors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University were set to launch an indefinite walkout Thursday as little progress has been made in efforts to resolve a monthslong conflict over a medical reform plan.
Professors at Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital began suspending the treatment of outpatients, non-emergency surgeries and other services, except for the operation of emergency rooms and intensive care units, according to its emergency committee.
The walkout will continue until the government comes up with “tangible measures” to resolve the ongoing health care crisis as trainee doctors have left worksites since late February in protest of the government’s decision to raise the medical school admission quota, according to the officials.
The move put a damper on hopes for a breakthrough after medical professors affiliated with Seoul National University, Catholic University of Korea and Samsung Medical Center shelved plans to stage an indefinite walkout in apparent consideration of patients and the people.
The Korean Medical Association (KMA), a major doctors’ lobby group, earlier warned of an indefinite strike starting Thursday. But it changed course and decided to discuss their next steps during a meeting Saturday.
The KMA led a one-day strike last week, which involved some community doctors.
The government has called for dialogue with the medical community to seek a breakthrough, but trainee doctors have not budged an inch while demanding the withdrawal of the plan to raise medical school enrollment.
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong told a parliamentary session Wednesday that the government “will try to come up with new measures” to resolve the situation.
Despite strong opposition from doctors, the government finalized an admissions quota hike of some 1,500 students for medical schools late last month in an effort to address the shortage of doctors.
(Yonhap)
