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In a show of solidarity with trainee doctors, medical professors across South Korea have initiated a series of resignations and work-hour reductions on Monday, amplifying pressure on the government amidst ongoing protests against healthcare reforms.
According to a doctors’ group, professors from 19 out of 40 medical schools have collectively submitted their resignations, signaling an escalation in support for the trainee doctors’ prolonged walkout. Despite initial threats of quitting, many professors have vowed to continue their duties at major university hospitals.
The nationwide walkout, which has seen over 90 percent of the country’s 13,000 trainee doctors participate through mass resignations since February 20, is in response to the government’s decision to increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 seats.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has intervened in the escalating crisis, instructing Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to engage in closer communication with the medical community regarding the reform plans, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
“Please communicate more closely with all sectors of society, including the medical community,” President Yoon emphasized, urging for a constructive dialogue to address the concerns of healthcare professionals.
Efforts for dialogue, however, face hurdles as another group of medical professors demands the complete scrapping of the reform plan. The Medical Professors Association of Korea has expressed willingness to engage in discussions only if the plan to increase medical school admissions is abolished.
“The ongoing crisis cannot be settled unless the government scraps the plan to increase the number of medical school freshmen and withdraws the allocation of seats,” the association stated, outlining its conditions for dialogue.
Despite these challenges, medical professors are determined to proceed with their plan to reduce weekly work hours to 52 by adjusting surgeries and medical treatments, further complicating efforts to resolve the impasse.
As tensions continue to mount between the government and healthcare professionals, the nation awaits decisive actions and meaningful dialogue to address the pressing concerns surrounding healthcare reforms.
