The medical field in South Korea is experiencing chaos as resident doctors, including interns and residents, who are opposing the expansion of medical schools, signed resignations on Feb. 19. Some even left the hospital on the same day as soon as they submitted the resignation. Doctors from the major “Big 5″ hospitals in Seoul, Seoul National University, Seoul Asan Medical Center, Severance, Seoul Samsung Medical Center, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, announced that they would not be working from Feb. 20. Regional hospitals are also experiencing resignations of doctors one after another. If a significant number of doctors who perform surgeries and provide first aid at major hospitals leave, it will inevitably disrupt surgery and emergency room operations that are directly related to patients’ lives. The Korean Emergency Medical Association stated that “chaos in emergency rooms will increase from today.” Some large hospitals have postponed half of their surgery, due to the chaotic situation.
President Yoon Suk-yeol asked Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to “do everything possible to protect the lives and health of the people.” President Yoon also told his staff that “the medical community cannot defeat the public” and that “he will never accept the strike broke, different from the last government did,” according to multiple presidential office officials.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has issued “practice maintenance orders” for doctors in all 221 teaching hospitals nationwide. Doctors could be sentenced to be prison if they are accused of violating the order.The government also sent advance notices of “administrative suspension of medical licenses” to Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the Korean Medical Association emergency committee, and Park Myung-ha, president of the Seoul Medical Association. National Police Chief Yoon Hee-keun also announced, “We will consider arresting the (strike) leaders.”
The government has initiated an emergency medical system to deal with the ongoing strike. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is providing transportation and power support to 409 emergency medical centers across the country. In addition, 12 military hospitals will open their emergency rooms to the public, and more than 1,400 military and public health doctors will be deployed to assist. If the strike continues for a prolonged period, non-face-to-face care will also be allowed. “With more than 13,000 resident doctors nationwide, it’s difficult to fill the gap with an emergency care system,” said a hospital official in Seoul.
Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice said it would file a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission against the doctors’ collective practice suspension as “collusion”. Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union is also organizing a “candlelight protest” to criticize the doctors’ collective action.
