Medical Professors in South Korea Resign in Solidarity with Striking Doctors
Medical professors across South Korea have made a bold decision to resign from their positions in a collective effort to support the ongoing strike by doctors in training. The decision was reached during an online meeting held on Friday night, with professors from 20 universities participating in the discussion.
The move comes in response to the government’s decision to increase the enrollment fee in medical schools by 2,000 places, a decision that has sparked widespread protests among doctors in training. More than 90 percent of the country’s 13,000 doctors in training have walked away from their jobs since last month to demonstrate against the fee hike.
According to reports from the Yonhap agency, professors at 16 medical schools have unanimously decided to resign, while the remaining four are still considering their next steps. Bang Jae Seung, the head of the emergency committee of medical school professors, stressed that the resignation does not mean abandoning patients, but is a necessary step to prevent irreversible damage to public health.
“We must present resignations to avoid a medical debacle, since we believe that an agreement can only be reached after the Government reverses the plan to increase registration places by 2,000,” explained Bang.
The ongoing strike has led to concerns among patients as major general hospitals have experienced cancellations and delays in surgeries and emergency medical treatments. The government has stated that the increase in enrollment fees aims to address the shortage of doctors in rural areas and less popular medical fields, but doctors argue that it will lead to higher medical costs for patients and undermine the quality of medical education.
As the deadline for doctors in training to submit their views on license suspensions approaches, the government has issued previous notices to around 5,000 young doctors who defied orders to return to work. The medical community is calling for measures to address underpaid specialists and improve legal protection against excessive medical malpractice claims.
Despite their resignation from education, the medical professors have pledged to continue treating patients in hospitals faithfully. The pressure from both medical professors and doctors in training highlights the urgent need for a resolution to the ongoing strike to ensure that patients receive the medical treatment they need in a timely manner.