Jakarta –
Thousands of doctors in South Korea (South Korea) went on strike and took to the streets to protest the policy of increasing medical student admissions. The government is also wary of the punishment that will be given to them.
South Korean health authorities said thousands of intern doctors at a number of the country’s largest hospitals went on strike on Wednesday (21/02). They protested plans to admit more students to medical school. The actions of these doctors disrupted the care of a number of patients.
The South Korean government intends to increase the number of new students admitted to medical schools from 3,000 to 5,000 people starting in the 2025 academic year, then to increase further to 10,000 students in 2035. This is done in an effort to improve health services in remote areas and address the demands faced by is increasing, as one of the countries with the fastest aging rate in the world.
According to medical students and doctors who took part in this protest, South Korea already has enough doctors. So, the government’s first effort should be to improve income and working conditions, especially for high-demand specialist doctors such as pediatrics and emergency medicine, before deciding to recruit more students.
Warning from the Government
Reporting from AFP, Monday (26/2/2024), this mass strike resulted in the cancellation and postponement of operations for cancer patients and caesarean sections for pregnant women. The government raised the health alert level to the highest level as a result of this action.
Doctors are considered essential workers in South Korea and are prohibited by law from striking.
The Seoul government has repeatedly claimed the mass resignations were unlawful, and according to Yonhap news agency, threatened to take legal action against those involved, or cancel their medical licenses.
South Korean Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Lee Sang Min, speaking at a crisis management meeting, said the government made a “final request” on Monday (26/2) local time for doctors to return to work this week.
“If you return to hospital by February 29, you will not be held responsible for what happened in the past,” he said.
Lee stated that the doctors’ prolonged collective actions posed a “threat to the lives and health of the patients.”
“Hospitals are places where your dreams of caring for sick patients come true every day,” he told the striking doctors.
“I hope you will return to the workplace… and engage in dialogue for a better media environment,” Lee urged.
More details on the next page.
(aik/aik)
2024-02-26 22:31:00
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