More than 6,000 young doctors training in South Korea submitted their resignations and 1,600 of them walked off the job to protest against a reform of medical training, leading, on Tuesday, February 20, to disruptions in the country’s health services .
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South Korean hospitals were forced on Tuesday February 20 to refuse patients and delay surgical interventions after the anger expressed by nearly half of the intern staff in the country. Park Min-soo, a senior health ministry official, told reporters that the walkouts had already led to the cancellation of surgeries and disruptions to medical services. The government’s top priority is to “ maintain emergency medical services and treatment of serious cases in major hospitals “, did he declare.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the government would not back down on reform “ necessary “, according to him, to prepare the country to take care of a rapidly aging population. He urged doctors not to “ take people’s lives and health hostage » through work stoppages. The government plans in particular to increase the number of students admitted to medical faculties by 65%, or 2,000 additional people per year, from 2025. South Korea has one of the lowest ratios of doctors per capita in developed countries, and the government has long worked to increase the number of doctors.
Opposition from interns and approval from the population
But doctors are fiercely opposed to the government’s plan to sharply increase admissions to medical schools, saying it would harm the quality of services. The Korean Medical Association said the reform would create a ” Cuban-style socialist medical system “. “ I submitted my resignation letter “, Park Dan, president of the Korean Association of Interns, said on Facebook on Monday. “ Without any regrets, I gave up my dream of becoming a specialist in pediatric emergency medicine. I have no intention of coming back “.
Supporters of the reform, for their part, believe that doctors mainly fear an erosion of their salaries and their social status. The reform is popular with the people, who, according to experts, are tired of long waits in hospitals. According to a recent poll by the Korean Gallup Institute, more than 75% of respondents are in favor of reform.
(with AFP)
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