Hospitals have turned away patients and cancelled surgeries after about two-thirds of the country’s young doctors walked off the job this month in protest.
The young doctors say their pay and working conditions should be the priority, rather than the government’s plan to boost the number of physicians. The authorities say more staff are needed to increase healthcare services in remote areas and meet the growing demands of one of the world’s most rapidly ageing societies.
“The current medical system in South Korea, which is a great one, is run by making cheap trainee doctors keep grinding,” Ryu, 25, told Reuters.
Senior doctors and private practitioners have not walked out but have held rallies urging the government to scrap its plan, with 400 gathering in Seoul on Sunday (Feb 25).
But the government’s plan to boost medical school admissions is popular, with about 76 per cent of respondents in favour, regardless of political affiliation, a recent Gallup Korea poll found.
Source: CNA
