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Medical professors strike because of fatigue, 50 Korean hospitals are affected

May 10, 2024

Seoul [South Korea], May 10: Many professors at major hospitals in Korea are on strike today, May 10, in the context of many intern doctors continuing to strike since February 20.
Yonhap news agency reported that medical professors at major hospitals in Korea plan to strike today, May 10, the third strike within 2 weeks because they are too tired to do the work of interns capital went on strike to protest the government's health sector reform plan.
The hospitals said that treatment of seriously ill patients and inpatient services will still be provided while the professors voluntarily leave their jobs.
Previously, medical professors went on strike on April 30 and May 3, but no major disruptions were reported in the public health service sector.
On May 10, a number of medical professors at four major hospitals in Seoul will voluntarily quit, including Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Severance Hospital and Seoul St.Mary Hospital.
It is unclear how many professors will quit on this day, but it is expected that their actions will affect about 50 hospitals across the country.
The professors, all senior doctors at general hospitals, began taking a day off every week to show solidarity with about 12,000 intern doctors who have left their workplaces since February 20. to protest plans to increase the annual number of medical students by 2,000.
The weekly voluntary layoff day comes amid a prolonged deadlock between the government and the medical community over health reform. Previously on April 9, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that the reform plan "is a task that can no longer be delayed", showing that the government will continue to implement it despite those who oppose it.
Later on the same day, the government planned to hold a second round of meetings of the presidential commission on health reform established last month to address the issue, despite doctors boycotting and calling for completely abandon the plan.
Meanwhile, the Korean government also plans to submit minutes and other documents to the Supreme Court on May 10 to prove that the decision to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 is based on scientific grounds. learn.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper