4-3-2024 (SEOUL) The Ministry of Health announced on Monday that it has initiated procedures to suspend the licenses of approximately 7,000 trainee doctors who have defied the government’s order to return to work. The ministry warned that such punishment would have irreversible consequences.
For the 14th consecutive day, around 9,000 trainee doctors remained off their jobs at general hospitals, protesting against the government’s plan to increase the number of medical school seats by 2,000 starting next year, from the current 3,058.
Park Min-soo, the Second Vice Health Minister, stated that the government has taken measures to suspend the medical licenses of trainee doctors who have abandoned their worksites. Park emphasized the irreversibility of this punitive action, stating that it would leave a permanent record affecting their future career prospects.
“The government intends to conduct on-site investigations to identify any violations, which will be followed by responses in accordance with the law and principles,” Park added. “The officials responsible for the collective action that has caused chaos in the medical sector will face stern and prompt consequences.”
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong reiterated the government’s stance against what it deems to be “illegal” collective action by trainee doctors. Speaking at a government response meeting, Cho emphasized that authorities plan to take punitive steps to address the situation.
The medical interns and residents play a crucial role in assisting with surgeries and emergency services at major general hospitals. Their collective labor action has led to a significant number of cancellations and delays in surgeries and emergency medical treatments.
Last Thursday was the deadline given by the government for protesting doctors to return to work, with a warning that noncompliance could result in punitive action, including criminal punishment or revocation of their doctors’ licenses. However, the warning has thus far failed to persuade them to resume their duties.
According to Park, as of last Thursday, 8,945 trainee doctors had left their worksites, while only 565 had returned to work. Failure to comply with government orders can lead to the suspension of medical licenses for up to a year, imprisonment for three years, or a fine of 30 million won ($22,455) for doctors.
The government’s objective in increasing physician numbers is to address the shortage of doctors in rural areas and essential medical fields such as pediatrics and neurosurgery, considering the challenges posed by the super-aging population.
Doctors, however, argue that the quota hikes will jeopardize the quality of medical education and services and result in higher medical costs for patients. They are calling for measures to first address the issue of underpaid specialists and improve legal protection against excessive medical malpractice lawsuits.
