Medical professors strike over fatigue, 50 South Korean hospitals affected

Ambulance at a hospital in Seoul

Yonhap news agency reported that medical professors at major hospitals in South Korea plan to strike today, May 10, the third strike in two weeks because they are tired of doing the work of interns who are on strike to protest the government 's medical reform plan.

Hospitals said that treatment of critically ill patients and inpatient services will still be provided during the professors' voluntary leave.

Previously, medical professors went on strike on April 30 and May 3, but no major disruptions were recorded in the public health service sector.

On May 10, several medical professors at four major hospitals in Seoul will voluntarily resign, including Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Severance Hospital, and St. Mary's Hospital Seoul.

It is not clear how many professors will walk off the job on this day, but their actions are expected to affect about 50 hospitals across the country.

The professors, all senior doctors at general hospitals, began taking a day off every week in solidarity with some 12,000 trainee doctors who have walked out of their workplaces since February 20 to protest against plans to increase the annual intake of medical students by 2,000.

The weekly day of voluntary absence comes amid a prolonged stalemate between the government and the medical community over healthcare reform. Earlier on April 9, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the reform plan “is a task that can no longer be postponed,” signaling that the government would press ahead despite opposition.

Later that day, the government plans to hold a second round of meetings of the presidential commission on health care reform set up last month to address the issue, despite doctors boycotting it and calling for the plan to be abandoned altogether.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government also plans to submit a memorandum and other documents to the Supreme Court on May 10 to prove that its decision to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 was based on scientific grounds.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giao-su-y-khoa-dinh-cong-vi-met-moi-50-benh-vien-han-quoc-bi-anh-huong-185240510081434311.htm