SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) — Trainee doctors, who have left their workplaces for months to protest the government’s medical reform, have mostly shown a lukewarm reaction to the government’s plans. to allow them to pursue other careers or return to hospitals without legal sanctions, some doctors said Wednesday.
In an apparent move to break the “impasse” over medical reform, Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Tuesday that they have allowed hospitals to accept the resignations of trainee doctors.
The Government had ordered trainee doctors – who have been out of work since late February in protest at the Government’s plan to increase the number of medical students – to return to hospitals, while banning hospitals accept their resignations.
By lifting the return-to-work order and allowing hospitals to accept their resignations, trainee doctors could find work at other medical clinics or return to the hospitals where they were training.
At the end of last month, the Government finalized the increase in the admission quota, by around 1,500 places, which represents the first increase of this type in 27 years. Once the issue of the increase in admission fee was resolved, the Government considered the possibility of taking favorable measures to reassure the trainee doctors.
However, some trainee doctors have said that they will not return to hospitals as the increase in admission quota for medical colleges was confirmed.
One of the trainee doctors who had resigned said that as long as the Government continues with the medical policy, many trainee doctors consider returning to hospitals “meaningless”.
Park Dan, leader of the Korean Interns and Residents Association (KIRA), said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he will not return to his hospital as “nothing has changed.” .
As of May 30, only 8.4 percent of the 10,509 resident doctors were working in 211 university hospitals, according to ministry data.
Meanwhile, members of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the largest association of community doctors, began voting on whether to launch a strike. The KMA plans to announce its future course of action on Sunday, based on the results of the vote.
According to sources in the medical sector, 51,471 of the 129,200 eligible voters, almost 40 percent, had cast their vote as of 9 pm on Wednesday. Voting began Tuesday, at 5:00 p.m.
The association has extended the deadline by 12 hours, from noon to midnight on Friday.
Although the KMA did not reveal the reasons behind the decision, it is likely that the measure is aimed at attracting as many voters as possible.
It is believed that the majority of those who have voted have done so in favor of carrying out the strike.
(END)
