hankyoreh

A person in scrubs and a white coat walks through a waiting area at a major hospital in Seoul on June 6, 2024, amid a monthslong clash between the government and physicians groups over a plan to increase medical school admissions in Korea. (Yonhap)

Senior doctors at Seoul National University-affiliated hospitals have voted to go on an indefinite strike beginning June 17. While some of the professors-cum-practicing doctors had already been taking one day a week off in solidarity with the trainee doctors’ strike, this goes one step further by amounting to a continuing suspension of all medical services except for those in the emergency room. The strike at these major hospitals is expected to influence other medical schools and hospitals and exacerbate the ongoing gap in medical services. 

After surveying medical professors at SNU College of Medicine and its affiliated hospitals, an emergency committee representing the professors announced Thursday it had decided to halt all medical services, aside from essential services in the emergency room and the intensive care unit, on June 17. 

“We will halt medical services from the date in question unless administrative measures taken against the trainee doctors are completely canceled and reasonable measures are taken to normalize the medical situation,” the committee said. 

What the doctors want is for the government to rule out any possibility of the trainee doctors facing administrative penalties, such as suspending their medical licenses. 

On June 4, the Ministry of Health and Welfare retracted administrative orders for trainee doctors to return to work and continue to provide medical services. However, the emergency committee objected that trainee doctors’ refusal to work from Feb. 19, when they submitted their resignations, through June 3 could still be seen as “illegal behavior.” As such, the emergency committee demanded that the government “cancel” the administrative orders, rather than simply “retracting” them, to ensure the trainee doctors do not lose their licenses or face other disadvantages. 

Since SNU’s hospitals are not only major hospitals but also medical institutions with regional responsibilities, a complete suspension of medical services will cause even greater harm to patients. Furthermore, SNU Hospital is the first of Seoul’s “big five” hospitals to declare a general strike, which is likely to influence decisions at the other four big hospitals: Asan Medical Center, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Severance Hospital in Sinchon and Samsung Medical Center. 

At present, professors at other medical schools are also discussing what measures to take, with professors at Korea University College of Medicine planning to meet this week to discuss carrying out a survey of their own.  

By Lim Jae-hee, staff reporter; Lee Jeong-hun, staff reporter 

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]