SEOUL: South Korea’s (South Korea) health crisis is getting worse after senior doctors joined the strike by reducing practice hours starting Monday (25 March).
This step was taken as a form of support for young doctors and interns who have been on strike for more than a month since February 20.
The strike that paralyzed the country of “Ginseng” continues tensions with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s government over health reform plans by increasing the quota for medical student admissions to universities starting in 2025.
“It is clear that increasing the number of medical students will not only damage medical education but also lead to the collapse of our country’s health system,” said Kim Chang-soo, president of the Korean Association of Medical Professors.
He said these senior doctors who are also professors of medicine will begin to reduce outpatient services to focus on emergency patients and those who are seriously ill.
Meanwhile another medical professor has submitted his resignation.
This mass strike forced several hospitals to turn away patients and postpone procedures such as operations.
The government has repeatedly emphasized that these reforms are crucial to address the shortage of doctors given South Korea’s increasingly rapid aging.
But critics say the government should focus on improving the working conditions of intern doctors first.
President Yoon, who has made health reform one of his policy initiatives, vowed not to back down in implementing his agenda.
However, yesterday Sunday, Yoon began to soften by asking Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to seek “flexible measures” in dealing with the suspension of doctors’ practice licenses if they remain on strike.
The conservative president ordered Han to form a “constructive consultative body” to dialogue with all medical professionals.
According to a Gallup poll released March 15, 38% said the government is taking appropriate steps in addressing the doctor vacancy crisis, while 49% said the government is “not doing a good job.”