South Korea has decided to rescind its previous plan to suspend licenses of striking doctors in a bid to resolve the nation’s prolonged medical crisis. The government’s move aims to address the shortage of doctors treating emergency and critical patients and to reinstate a training system to recruit more skilled doctors. Health Minister Cho KyooHong announced on Monday that regardless of whether the striking doctors return to work at hospitals or not, their licenses will not be suspended.
Since February, more than 13,000 junior doctors, including medical interns and residents, went on strike to protest the government’s proposal to significantly increase school admissions. The strike has heavily impacted the functioning of university hospitals where the junior doctors have been training. Despite a court ruling in support of the government’s plan in May, the administration later opted not to suspend the licenses of doctors who had returned to their positions but refrained from taking action against those who remained on strike.
Government officials have expressed the need to recruit up to 10,000 doctors by 2035 to cater to the aging population and address the shortage of physicians, particularly in rural areas and in essential specialties like pediatrics and emergency departments. While doctors argue that the sudden surge in students could overwhelm educational institutions and compromise medical services in the country, critics contend that the well-paid physicians are primarily concerned that an increased number of doctors would lead to a reduction in their earnings.
Although the striking doctors represent only a fraction of the total medical professionals in South Korea, their absence, especially in major hospitals, has caused significant disruptions. They play a crucial role in assisting fully qualified doctors and department heads during surgeries and other medical procedures while undergoing training. Their strike has resulted in the cancellation of numerous surgeries and treatments, posing a threat to the country’s healthcare services.
