SEOUL: It’s startling to witness medical professionals leave their jobs. After all, these professionals are responsible for providing care for members of society, including the sick and injured. But this unexpected development is exactly what has occurred in South Korea.
Over 12,000 physicians from more than 100 hospitals have resigned from their positions since February in opposition to a government initiative to boost admissions to medical schools. Senior physicians and medical professors later joined the strike in support of the medical students, interns, and resident physicians who went on strike first. Though this represents a small portion of the 140,000+ physicians in South Korea, hundreds of surgeries and other treatments have been postponed due to the strike.
A cap of 3,058 students per year has been placed on admissions to South Korea’s medical schools since 2016. To address the physician shortage, the Moon Jae-in government proposed in 2020 to raise this by a moderate 400 places annually. Fearing they would have to share more of the revenue generated by the medical sector, doctors fiercely opposed the proposal and went on strike.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a backdrop to their actions. The government gave up because medical attention was desperately needed. Following a month-long strike, doctors “won” and returned to work, preventing a rise in the number of doctors available.
Also Read:
Similar to 2022, Real wages in Singapore Increased by 0.4% in 2023.
