Prime Minister Han Yeong-soo: ``Doctors who leave their patients are unacceptable.'' South Korean government: ``If you return to work by tomorrow, we will not hold you accountable.''

On the 28th, Prime Minister Han Deok-soo spoke to the doctors who resigned en masse in opposition to the expansion of medical school admissions, saying, ``I don't understand why doctors would leave their patients for whatever reason.''
"This is unacceptable," he said, strongly urging his return. This afternoon, at a meeting of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Doctors' Collective Action, which he presided over at the government building in Seoul, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea said, ``The withdrawal of specialized doctors from hospitals has been prolonged.
This is increasing the inconvenience for patients, deepening the disappointment and anxiety of especially critically ill patients and their families, and increasing the burden on medical staff who cover their absences.''
Prior to this, the government announced that it would not hold the doctors who resigned en masse if they returned to the hospital by the 29th.
Prime Minister Han said, ``This kind of request for reinstatement is not for punishment. Rather, it is to avoid being punished. Please listen to the appeals of the people and the government and stop it from going any further.
I reiterate and respectfully request that they return to their original place of protecting the lives of patients so that they do not become infected." On this day, the government announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters that medical care inspired by the collective action of doctors.
We discussed ways to support the emergency medical care system by setting up a separate reserve fund to minimize gaps. Prime Minister Han said, ``First, we will support the budget as a separate contingency fund, and provide replacements for the shortage of doctors.''
"We will provide support for hiring staff, compensation for overtime work and holiday medical treatment, etc." He continued, ``We will significantly strengthen the compensation for medical treatment of patients hospitalized with serious illness at advanced general hospitals under health insurance.
Additional incentives will be provided if you treat all patients in a general hospital. This has created an efficient system in which seriously ill patients are admitted and operated on at advanced general hospitals, while mildly ill patients are treated at general hospitals.
"I will continue to do so," he explained. Furthermore, in order to avoid delays in essential treatment for serious and emergency patients such as surgeries, 150 public health doctors (public health doctors) who have received essential medical training and 20 military medical officers will be hired by the end of March.
Prime Minister Han announced that he will be making preparations for additional injections in the future. Prime Minister Han said, ``Since the day before, we have implemented a medical support model project and have provided legal protection for the work performed by nurses.''
Ta. If military doctors and public health insurance doctors are dispatched to the medical field, we hope that delays in surgeries and reduced operation of emergency care centers will be alleviated to some extent."
Prime Minister Han said, ``Currently, the only people who can withstand the difficult situation are the medical staff and hospital personnel who silently protect the suffering medical front lines.''
We are grateful to all the people who actively respond to government policies. I hope that the specialized doctors will be back by tomorrow to take care of the patients who are waiting for them."