South Korean Doctor Warns Spike In COVID-19 Cases, Strikes Could Cripple Emergency Rooms

South Korea's COVID-19 Mask (Wikimedia Commons/Busan Metropolitan City)

JAKARTA - The South Korean medical association warned on Friday that a spike in COVID-19 cases and an ongoing strike by an intern could cripple hospital emergency rooms next month when many doctors are also on holiday due to public holidays.

However, the government denies the risk of closing the ER mentioned by the Korean Medical Association (KMA), saying they provide additional support if needed.

Thousands of interns, including interns and resident doctors, went on strike in February to protest plans to increase the number of medical students by 2,000 per year, to fulfill what authorities project would be a severe shortage of doctors.

Hospitals relying on interns in various medical disciplines must refuse patients in the emergency room, citing staff shortages, while existing doctors are experiencing heavier workloads, the government said.

KMA, who represents practicing doctors, said more and more ER doctors at university hospitals have resigned because they work too much and are afraid to face malpractice lawsuits which are exacerbated by fatigue.

"In September, when the wave of COVID-19 cases peaks, there will be a surge in patients and there will also be a Chuseok holiday when doctors in important discipline will take leave, so emergency rooms will likely be closed in chains," said KMA spokesman Chae Dong-young at a briefing., reported The Korea Times August 23.

Chuseok is the annual holiday of Ginseng Country which is celebrated for three days in the fall.

The Ministry of Health said there may be some hospital emergency rooms that require support from military doctors or communities assigned by authorities, but denied the ER would be closed.

It is known that South Korea has seen the resurgence of COVID-19 cases this month. However, the Ministry of Health said more than 95 percent of patients who had visited the ER were cases that could be treated in clinics.