Gov't, doctors wage war of nerves as protest resignations mount

Social Affairs

Published: 19 Feb. 2024, 18:09 Updated: 20 Feb. 2024, 09:38

Gov't, doctors wage war of nerves as protest resignations mount

A group of medical professionals walk near a hospital in Seoul on Monday. Medical chaos is anticipated in Korea as trainee doctors at five major hospitals were set to submit their resignation letters by Monday to protest the government's decision to increase the enrollment quota at medical schools. [YONHAP]

Tension between the government and doctors in Korea is escalating amid concerns of medical chaos as interns and residents began submitting their resignation letters on Monday to protest the hike in enrollment quotas at medical schools.

On the same day, the Ministry of Health and Welfare ordered all trainee doctors at 221 hospitals nationwide to continue providing medical services. Approximately 13,000 trainee doctors work at these hospitals.

The remark 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 five hospitals in question are Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Criticizing the Korean Medical Association for "encouraging collective actions among trainee doctors," Second Health Vice Minister Park Min-soo said during a press briefing on Monday that inspections will be conducted at hospitals, with the results disclosed transparently.

According to government and medical sources, the ministry ordered major hospitals to report daily work records of trainee doctors to prevent striking individuals from falsely declaring their return to the hospital.

On the same day, the National Police Agency also warned that medical professionals who refuse to attend investigations after violating the law may face arrest.

The police said it would visit nine hospitals in the country on Monday, including Gangnam and Sinchon Severance Hospital and Hanyang University Seoul Hospital. Riot police were to be dispatched to each hospital in case of physical altercations.

"We will promptly initiate an investigation by sending a request to appear for questioning via text message or post as soon as a report is filed," said Yoon Hee-keun, commissioner-general of the National Police Agency during a press briefing on Monday.

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

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

Medical school students have also decided to participate in the movement by taking leave of absence from their schools, as the Korean Medical Student Association said last week. There are around 20,000 medical students in the country.

Trainee doctors at Severance Hospital decided to strike a day earlier. Pediatric trainee doctors at the hospital said they would go on strike at 7 a.m. on Monday after submitting resignation letters. The hospital has been rescheduling patients' surgeries in anticipation of collective action.

Park Dan, the head of the Korean Intern Resident Association, also a trainee doctor at Severance Hospital, wrote on his Facebook account that he submitted a resignation letter on Monday, saying that he does "not wish to go back to work."

The government has been scrambling for solutions to mitigate expected chaos in medical services.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, right, speaks in a meeting held in response to the anticipated mass strike by doctors, along with related ministries, at the government complex in downtown Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

"The public health care and medical institutions will operate on an emergency medical system upon the collective strike," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said during an emergency meeting held with related ministries Monday morning. He added that the government will fully allow telemedicine services during the strike to minimize inconveniences and difficulties that patients might experience.

President Yoon Suk Yeol also advised the prime minister to "thoroughly respond to protect the lives and health of the public," the presidential office said.

The capital has formed an emergency responsive headquarters following the Health Ministry's hike in the national health crisis level to "alert," the third highest in the four-tier system, on Feb. 7.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday, eight city-run hospitals will be opened until 8 p.m. on weekdays if the level is raised to the highest "serious" level. Four hospitals run by the city will also operate their emergency rooms for 24 hours in such cases.

Service hours of community health centers will also be extended until 8 p.m. on weekdays, to be expanded to weekends if private physicians join the walkout.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, 715 trainee doctors across 23 hospitals have submitted resignation letters, according to the Health Ministry.

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

Doctors and medical students have fiercely criticized the government's decision to increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 next year.

The measure was announced to ensure medical services are provided equally throughout the country, especially in rural areas.

However, those in the medical scene 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.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO AND LEE SOO-JUNG [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]