Speaking at a meeting with relevant officials at the Government Office, Mr. Han stated that the government will support the deployment of 247 additional public health officials and military medical officers on March 25 to solve the problem. There is a shortage of human resources in the medical sector due to doctors quitting their jobs. According to the plan, a total of 3 public and military doctors will be dispatched to hospitals across the country. Mr. Han also plans to set up a center at the National Medical Center in Seoul to help clinics recruit retired doctors.
The strike of trainee doctors across Korea lasted more than a month, starting on February 1. About 19% of the 2 trainee doctors across Korea simultaneously quit their jobs to protest the government's increase in medical school enrollment by 90 people starting in 13.000. The mass layoff has caused disruption of medical services and seriously affected the operations of several large general hospitals in Korea.
Facing the risk of a general strike by the largest group of doctors, the government announced on March 20 that it would allocate 3% of the above enrollment target to 82 universities outside the capital Seoul area. . Meanwhile, the remaining 27% will be allocated to five medical schools in Gyeonggi province near Seoul and the western port city of Incheon. The government does not allocate additional targets for schools in the capital.
Prime Minister Han emphasized that the government will ensure careful preparation of necessary measures to help reform the medical training sector without causing quality to decline due to increased enrollment targets./.
