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Mar. 29  2024
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Hospitals Hit by Expanded Strikes

The nation's 30 general hospitals affiliated with colleges and universities went into an emergency operation yesterday as about 1,300 doctors joined the strike by 12,000 interns and residents to oppose a medical reform package which was introduced Aug. 1.

Source  :  Korea Times

The nation's 30 general hospitals affiliated with colleges and universities went into an emergency operation yesterday as about 1,300 doctors joined the strike by 12,000 interns and residents to oppose a medical reform package which was introduced Aug. 1.

Most of the protesting doctors tendered their resignation en masse and went on strike, demanding enhanced roles and rights as well as higher income.

The escalating collective action by medical personnel heightened fears about a medical service crisis. About 3,600 of 19,500 doctors running clinics staged strike for the seventh consecutive day on Monday.

The number of the striking clinic doctors declined from 5,000 at the start of the walkout.

However, worries about the looming catastrophe over healthcare services were growing as more than 1,000 doctors at general hospitals took part in the strike.

Many general hospitals stopped seeing new patients and cancelled surgical operations. They mobilized medical professors to keep open emergency rooms and intensive care units following the expanded walkout.

Many patients vented their anger over the strike by doctors, interns and residents, complaining that the strikers were again holding people's lives hostage to press their demands.

``We had to endure serious inconveniences and confusion because of the strike, especially at a time when the medical reform program was just introduced,'' said a patient identified as Kim.

She said that many patients were concerned that the nation might be plunged into an unprecedented medical service crisis following a six-day strike in late June.

Doctors, interns and residents have been protesting the government-initiated reform plan, under which they are banned from selling drugs to outpatients.

At Seoul National University Hospital, 180 ``fellows'' took part in the ongoing strike by interns and residents, forcing 260 medical professors to take care of patients.

The hospital plans to turn away new outpatients if fellows, interns and residents continue to strike. Fellows are doctors who are working for general hospitals after completing courses as interns and residents.

Some 131 fellows also participated in the strike at Severance Hospital affiliated with Yonsei University. Intensive care units and emergency and delivery rooms were staffed with professors and non-striking doctors.

The hospital only conducted 12 cases of surgeries yesterday, a significant decline from a daily average of 80 cases. About 35 percent of its beds were empty due to the strike.

At Samsung Medical Center, 124 fellows joined 430 interns and residents in their strike. The number of surgeries fell from 100 cases on average each day to 21.

In addition, 139 fellows also took part in the strike at Asan Medical Center, while 638 interns and residents were continuing the walkout for the seventh straight day. The hospital canceled appointments for 500 outpatients.

Kyung Hee University Hospital and Kuro Hospital affiliated with Korea University could not maintain normal operations as their fellows resigned in protest against the medical reform plan.

To cope with the escalating strike, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced measures to provide emergency medical services to patients by mobilizing national and public hospitals, military hospitals, and health centers.

In this situation, Health Minister Cha Heung-bong was replaced with Labor Minister Choi Sun-jung in a major Cabinet reshuffle.

Some analysts expect that the new minister will concentrate on ending the strike and speeding up the implementation of the medical reform designed to draw a clear line between doctor's prescribing role and pharmacist's function of drug dispensing.
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