SEOUL, South Korea: South Korea’s health minister issued a stark warning on Tuesday, highlighting the risk to patients’ lives as medical professors consider joining striking junior doctors in a standoff that has paralyzed the healthcare system for three weeks.
The strike, initiated by thousands of trainee medics on February 20, protests the government’s plans to significantly increase the number of doctors to address shortages and cater to the country’s rapidly aging population. While the government argues that this expansion is crucial, doctors argue it will compromise service quality.
In response, the government has ordered medics to return to work under threat of legal action, suspending the medical licenses of non-compliant individuals. Additionally, it has introduced incentives and established a hotline to support those who defy the walkout.
This week, medical school professors from a top university announced their intention to resign en masse unless the government facilitates a “reasonable breakthrough” to resolve the deadlock.
Expressing grave concern over this decision, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong urged professors, many of whom are senior doctors in hospitals, to assist their striking colleagues in returning to work rather than joining the protests. He emphasized the potential threat to the health and lives of patients posed by further disruptions.
However, the Medical Professors Association of Korea countered, stating that senior doctors were striving to maintain essential services amid the strike. While hopeful for a swift resolution, the association cautioned that without unconditional government engagement in talks, more doctors might join the walkout.
To alleviate the crisis, Seoul has mobilized military medics and allocated millions of dollars from state reserves. The government’s plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 students annually from next year aims to address one of the lowest doctor-to-population ratios among developed nations.
Despite broad public support for the reform, a recent poll revealed that 34 percent of respondents favored government negotiation to end the standoff.
