Gov't urges doctors against striking over med school quota hike

Social Affairs

Published: 18 Feb. 2024, 17:16 Updated: 19 Feb. 2024, 09:45

Gov't urges doctors against striking over med school quota hike

A trainee doctor runs through a hospital in Seoul on Sunday. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the same day urged doctors to refrain from going on strike amid their anticipated collective action as the government announced a medical school enrollment quota hike earlier this month. [NEWS1]

The government on Sunday urged doctors to refrain from going on strike, stressing that the medical school enrollment quota hike is a timely issue to be addressed, amid anticipated collective action by doctors in protest against the decision.

“We cannot postpone increasing the medical school enrollment quota,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said during a public discourse held at the government complex in downtown Seoul, adding that reform cannot be completed unless a certain number of doctors is secured.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, 715 trainee doctors across 23 hospitals have submitted resignation letters, according to the Health Ministry. None of the resignations have been approved yet.

The prime minister said the government will push forward with its decision on the enrollment quota, as well as a policy reform package, which includes investing over 10 trillion won ($7.4 billion) in health insurance to increase service prices in essential medical care by 2028.

Han stressed the necessity of the medical reform the government is pushing forward as many doctors do not receive enough compensation and suffer from long work hours, while patients are also not receiving prompt treatment due to an insufficient number of doctors.

The Yoon Suk Yeol government announced on Feb. 6 that it would increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 next year to ensure medical services are provided equally throughout the country, especially in rural areas. This marks the first hike since 1998.

The decision sparked fierce backlash among doctors, who claim that fixing the current system, including better salaries, would be more effective in encouraging doctors to work in rural areas and less popular essential medical fields.

The government on Sunday promised that the curriculum at medical schools will be improved following the hike in the enrollment quota in response to concerns over the deterioration of the quality of medical education if more students are accepted to these schools.

"The decision was not unilaterally made by the government but after lengthy and thorough consultations with experts and universities," the prime minister said.

“We will also create an environment where doctors will not be overly concerned about criminal penalties by establishing the safety net for medical accidents through the legislation of a special act.”

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on the same day expressed his resentment over the decision by the Korean Medical Association to pursue collective action.

“Four hundred emergency medical centers across the country will be ensured to operate 24 hours,” the minister said, adding that hospitals will be financially supported during a strike.

The government’s remarks on Sunday came after residents and intern doctors at five major hospitals said they would submit their resignations by Monday evening and stop all work by 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

The hospitals in question are Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center and the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

On Friday, the government ordered 103 trainee doctors to resume work, of which 100 returned to their workplaces.

According to the Medical Service Act, the government “may order medical personnel or institutions to resume medical service if there is reasonable ground to believe that suspension of medical service […] causes great difficulties in giving medical treatment to patients.”

If the medical professionals refuse to return, their licenses could be suspended for up to a year, and even face up to three years in prison. Medical professionals sentenced to jail can have their licenses revoked permanently.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO AND ESTHER CHUNG [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]