SEOUL, May 13 (Yonhap) — Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo said Monday that trainee doctors could experience a one-year delay in obtaining their medical specialty. if they don’t return to work by the end of this week.
“Unless medical residents return to work this week, the deadline for obtaining their medical specialty could be delayed by one year, according to relevant regulations,” Park told reporters.
Prolonged strikes by some 12,000 trainee doctors, who have left their jobs since February 20, in protest at the Government’s attempt to increase the number of medical students, have caused disruptions to public health services in major hospitals.
The strikes are expected to throw careers into disarray as trainee doctors will not be eligible for next year’s test to become specialists unless they train in hospitals for more than three months.
Park said they urge trainee doctors to return to their workplaces and fulfill their obligations as doctors to avoid possible disadvantages in their future careers.
Ministry officials and the medical community have predicted that trainee doctors must return to hospitals by around May 20 if they want to apply for the test to become specialists.
Park also said the government will provide funds from the national health insurance system to training hospitals, which have been suffering financial difficulties due to the strikes.
Meanwhile, the Seoul High Court is widely expected to issue its verdict at the latest on Friday on an injunction filed by the medical community, which intends to stop the government’s plan to increase, by 2,000 places, the enrollment quota in medical schools.
Park said that the Government submitted the documents requested by the court last Friday. The measure took place after the court’s request for data that could support the authorities’ assertion that the increase of 2,000 places in medical school capacity was based on scientific criteria.
Meanwhile, the medical community claims that the Government arbitrarily made the decision to increase the quota, without logical justification, and has also accused the authorities of mismanaging the minutes of related meetings.
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