Doctors At 4 Seoul Big Hospitals Begin To Strike On June 17
JAKARTA - Doctors in four major hospitals affiliated with the Seoul National University (SNU) will strike a strike starting June 17.The action will complicate the government's efforts to resolve the prolonged strike by training participant doctors."Even though the professors, who are senior doctors at the hospital, choose to strike, emergency rooms and treatments for critically ill patients will still be maintained," said hospital SNU official, quoted by Yonhap-OANA,Friday, June 7th.The strike was aimed at urging the government to completely revoke administrative measures that punish training participant doctors who have left their workplace since the end of February.The four hospitals involved are SNU Hospital, SNU Bungal Hospital, SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and SNU Hospital Health Service Center Gangnam Center.Late last month, the South Korean government completed an increase in the quota for medical school admissions by 1,500 seats, marking the first increase in 27 years.In an apparent attempt to persuade the training participants to return to the hospital, the government has allowed them to seek work at other medical clinics or return to training hospitals.The government carried out these efforts by revoking orders to return to work, and suspending administrative measures to punish them.Meanwhile, the Korean Medical Association, which is the largest community doctor lobby group in Korea, has also held a vote to decide whether to launch a strike.
According to sources, 58,874 of the 129,200 eligible voters or 45.57 percent participated in the vote, which could lead to strikes by community member doctors.