More than 8,000 South Korean medical trainees have submitted their resignations, creating a ”medical vacuum” - conflict over increasing medical school capacity

Approximately 8,000 trainee doctors and others submitted their resignations by the 20th of this month in opposition to the South Korean government's announcement to increase the number of admissions to university medical schools. As a result of this, large hospitals in Seoul are suffering from a shortage of doctors and patients.
There has been confusion, with patients being transferred to other hospitals and surgeries being postponed indefinitely. Criticism has also been raised over what is essentially a strike by doctors, who are in charge of patients' lives. Department of Health and Welfare (Department is Ministry)
equivalent) issued an order to the departed doctor to begin work (return to work). The plan is to impose administrative sanctions on trainee doctors who do not comply with the rules, including suspension of their medical licenses.
On the 6th of this month, the South Korean government announced that in order to resolve the shortage of doctors, the number of admissions for university medical schools will be increased by 2 from the 2025 entrance exam.
announced that it would increase the number of employees by 000. This is the first time in 27 years that the number of students has increased since 1998, when a new medical school was established at Jeju University in the south. The capacity increased to 3,507 in 1998, but in 2006 it decreased to 305.
The number was reduced to 8, and has remained at 3,058 each year since then. In 2020, South Korea will have the lowest number of doctors per 1,000 people among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries.
Something was reported. According to the ``Health Care Human Resources Statistics and Implications for Major OECD Countries'' published in the same year by the Korean National Assembly Legislative Research Service, the number of doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea is 2.3.
The number of people in the country was lower than the average for OECD countries (3.5 people), and the lowest level among member countries. The shortage of doctors in rural areas is particularly serious.
In an effort to alleviate the shortage of doctors, the previous Moon Jae-in administration in July 2020 decided to train an additional 4,000 doctors over a 10-year period.
We have launched a plan to expand the capacity of medical schools. However, the plan did not come to fruition due to opposition, including strikes by medical students and resident doctors. At that time, medical students and trainees believed that the problem was not that there were not enough doctors overall;
, pointed out that the cause is low medical fees for doctors in so-called essential departments such as surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. Doctors are not allocated appropriately, and doctors in departments with long working hours and large responsibilities
He argued that the lack of qualified doctors is resulting in a shortage of doctors. At the time, the Korean Medical Association went on strike due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Moon administration is prioritizing the coronavirus response, so capacity increases are tentative for now.
I gave up. Even after the change of administration, the South Korean government continued to insist on expanding the capacity of medical schools. President Yoon Seo-gyeol said at the State Council that he presided over on the 6th of this month, ``Protecting the health and lives of the people.''
``The expansion of the number of doctors is an issue of our time that cannot be delayed any longer,'' he said, calling for an increase in the number of medical faculty members. The majority of the public also supports increasing the number of seats, according to the Korean Galleries, a public opinion polling organization.
According to the survey results released on the 16th of this month, 76% of respondents said there were ``many positive things'' about the increase in capacity. However, doctors strongly opposed the government's policy. Suppose we increase the capacity of medical schools.
What is needed is to increase the number of doctors in essential medical fields, such as those mentioned above, rather than simply increasing the number of doctors in departments that are popular and have high incomes, which was the argument made during the strike under the Moon administration. expand
ing. In addition, since it is difficult to immediately fill professor positions and expand training and research facilities, there are concerns among faculty members at university medical schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area and physician groups that the quality of education may deteriorate significantly due to an increase in the number of professors.
I also have a feeling. The Ministry of Health and Welfare revealed on the 21st that 8,816 trainee doctors, or more than 70%, at 100 large hospitals have submitted notices of resignation in opposition to the government's policy. Yes, resignation letter
None of the discrepancies have been accepted. A ``medical vacuum'' is beginning to spread, with surgeries being postponed and medical appointments postponed. President Yoon said at a cabinet meeting on the 20th, ``We must not hold the lives and health of the people hostage.''
"I don't have any," he said, asking for his early return. The Ministry of Health and Welfare issued an order to the departed doctor to begin work. Those who do not comply will be subject to penalties such as license suspension.
Korean media has criticized the actions of the doctors. The Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo published an editorial on the 20th saying, ``The solution is medical care.''
It is important for the teachers to face the reality and regain their composure.''He added, ``We must continue to work with the government to overcome the reality of poor medical care without turning away from the Hippocratic oath to put the health of patients first.'' versus
We have to start talking." In addition, the Hankyoreh, a Korean newspaper, wrote in an editorial on the 21st that ``Without resident doctors in the training process, large hospitals in charge of essential medical care cannot operate normally.''
This is exactly the reality of medical care in South Korea." ``This is why the government must not only increase the number of doctors, but also seriously promote policies to expand the public nature of medical care.''
insisted. Park Min-soo, second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, appealed to the trainee doctors, saying, ``I want you to return to working with patients now.'' If trainee doctors abandon their workplaces for a long time, the impact on the medical field will be
There are concerns that the situation will become even more serious.