Doctors should return to their hospitals

Three months have passed since trainee doctors left their hospitals across the country to protest the government’s bold plan to increase medical school admissions quota by 2,000 spots annually over the next five years. There had been hopes that a high court’s judgment on two motions by the medical community to stop the quota hike could provide a breakthrough. But the doctors became more defiant after the court delivered a de-facto go-ahead to the government scheme.

The court ruled that although the increased enrollments could infringe on medical students’ right to learn, a suspension of the government policy could damage “public welfare” by hampering with medical reform. The bench also said that the government does not need approval from doctors to increase the number of doctors.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) and a body representing medical professors issued statements condemning the court for supporting a government policy that could seriously impair public welfare interests. In a radio interview, KMA Chair Lim Hyun-taek even raised the suspicion that the judge could have traded his ruling in favor of the government with a promise of his promotion to a justice position in the Supreme Court.

Such a reckless comment from a representative of the medical community only eats into the credibility of doctors. An emergency committee of nationwide medical professors will decide on a collective strike, including a weeklong leave. Junior doctors and medical students also vowed to continue their boycott unless the government withdraws the plan.

Doctors have filed for an injunction to seek the court’s judgment as universities must publish next year’s admissions guidelines by the end of May. After the court’s ruling, the government won’t likely reverse its position. Doctors will seriously infringe on the government’s authority if they demand the government to disrespect the high court’s ruling.

Doctors defended their collective action “to prevent the collapse of the medical system.” But instead, they are more or less threatening the government and people by causing a breakdown in the medical system. If junior doctors do not return to work, this year will not be able to generate trainee doctors. Medical students two times more than usual would have to attend their classes for the next six years. If trainee doctors are sincerely concerned about a breakdown in the medical system, they must return to their hospitals and work on a solution through dialogue with the government.

The court also pointed to the government’s lack of scientific grounds for setting the quota hike. The blame will fall on the government if patients suffer from more damage due to the absence of doctors.