With a collective strike in the medical sector looming, the South Korean government has requested that university hospital heads not permit professors to refuse treatment en masse. The government has also indicated that if prolonged refusals result in hospital losses, they will consider claiming damages. Patients affected by the collective refusal can report it via the Ministry of Health and Welfare call center (dial 129 without an area code). The government plans to respond quickly to these reports in collaboration with local authorities.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presided over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on June 16 to review the situation regarding the collective refusal of medical treatment. The medical community has announced a collective strike in opposition to increasing medical school admissions. Professors from Seoul National University College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital will begin an indefinite strike on June 17, while the Korea Medical Association and other medical groups will strike for one day on June 18. The government warned that canceling or delaying pre-scheduled treatments without patient consent or changes in treatment plans could be considered an unlawful refusal of treatment under the Medical Act.
Hospital heads have been urged to maintain emergency medical services to address potential gaps in care and to continually persuade trainee doctors to return to work. Eleven patient advocacy groups have been assigned dedicated coordinators to address concerns and suggestions. The government has also warned that if hospitals do not address the collective refusal, they might be excluded from prepayment of health insurance benefits.
Starting on June 17, the government will implement a nationwide rotational on-call system for severe emergencies, dividing the country into four major regions: the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang. Each region will have at least one designated on-call institution to handle night and holiday emergencies, including acute aortic syndrome, acute abdominal conditions in children under 12, and obstetric emergencies. This system will later expand to cover other conditions. To minimize disruptions in cancer care, the National Cancer Center will maximize the use of its beds, and a hotline will be established with the five major hospitals in Seoul to ensure timely treatment for cancer patients.
During the collective strike, real-time information about operational medical institutions will be provided. This information will be available through the Ministry of Health and Welfare call center, the 119 emergency management center, the National Health Insurance Service call center (1577-1000), the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service call center (1644-2000), as well as the emergency medical portal (www.e-gen.or.kr) and its mobile application.
Prime Minister Han emphasized that the collective refusal of medical services is detrimental to society, damaging the trust built between doctors and patients over decades. He urged doctors to heed the desperate pleas of patients and return to their posts. While assuring that returning trainee doctors will face no penalties, he stated that demands to nullify measures enacted according to the constitution and laws will not be accepted. He called on the medical community to withdraw unreasonable demands and participate in health care reform.
