Health minister urges return of junior doctors as under 300 rejoin

Social Affairs

Published: 29 Feb. 2024, 11:47 Updated: 29 Feb. 2024, 13:46

Health minister urges return of junior doctors as under 300 rejoin

Doctors and a nurse at an emergency room at a general hospital in Daegu on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

The health minister urged striking junior doctors to return by Thursday, marking the end of the grace period, during his appearance on a radio show on the same day.

“Although the number of doctors who left the hospital is decreasing, the return is not in full swing,” Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said on SBS radio, reiterating that doctors returning to work by Thursday would not be held responsible for their collective actions.

On Thursday, the government said that 294 trainee doctors who participated in the walkouts had returned to their duties by Tuesday night. The authority is currently tallying those who returned by Wednesday night.

“Concerning the non-returning doctors, the Health Ministry will take measures related to medical licenses, while the Justice Ministry will charge criminal penalties.”

Cho noted that the government’s strict actions based on the rule of law might have impinged on the doctors’ mass actions and caused them to hesitate about returning.

"Trainee doctors may experience an internal conflict, where their commitment to patient care clashes with the distress caused by the increase in enrollment quotas," Cho said. "Their relationships with fellow doctors may also influence their decisions to return."

Cho expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the Korean Medical Association, a sole negotiator in discussion with the government.

“To improve essential medical fields, perspectives of young doctors and general hospitals should come first. However, the association delivers the voices of doctors running their own private medical clinics more heavily,” he said.

“Through 28 meetings about health care and the medical agenda, the ministry and association had built mutual trust. The association also understood the need for an essential medical policy package [which involves having a higher number of doctors and improving rural health care services]. However, it suddenly changed its stance and now demands a nullification of the package while instigating collective actions of young doctors.”

Cho said that the government is making efforts to provide improved compensation for doctors working in essential medical departments.

“The government has invested 1 trillion won ($748 million) in pediatrics, obstetrics, high-risk surgeries and emergency medicine since January [to tackle the medical services pricing problem],” the minister said.

“By March, the authority will increase financial compensation for cardiologists. Also, it will continue to hike the medical expenses [burdened by patients and the National Health Insurance Service] of high-risk cerebral aneurysm surgeries on a quarterly basis.”

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min speaks at a meeting held at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Thursday. [NEWS1]

The government has introduced an appeasement measure aimed at addressing concerns raised by medical colleges regarding the quota hike, particularly due to a shortage of faculty. This measure aims to ensure that colleges maintain their educational standards.

“Medical colleges at flagship national universities will have an additional 1,000 faculties by 2027,” said Interior Minister Lee Sang-min during the meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Thursday.

“The authority will supply more faculties if the colleges need extra teaching personnel in classrooms and training courses,” Lee said.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]