South Korean President urges for flexible methods to handle medical license suspensions

Seoul, March 24 (IANS) President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol has urged Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to consult with political parties to seek a flexible process in suspending the licenses of striking trainee doctors, the Presidential office said. Yoon also asked Han to form a “constructive consultative body” to promote dialogue with medical workers, according to his office.

Yoon’s order was made at the request of ruling People Power Party (PPP) Chief Han Dong-hoon after he held talks with a group of medical professors earlier in the day. More than 90 per cent of the country’s 13,000 trainee doctors have been on strike in the form of mass resignations for about a month to protest the government’s decision to increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 seats from the current 3,058 starting next year to enhance health care services in remote areas, as well as essential but less popular medical disciplines.

The government has been taking due administrative steps to suspend the licenses of striking doctors as they missed a government-set deadline to return to work late last month, and the suspension will take effect Tuesday for some. This move comes after the trainee doctors have been on strike for a month, causing disruptions in healthcare services across the country.

The strike by trainee doctors has been a contentious issue, with the government facing pressure to resolve the situation and ensure that healthcare services are not severely impacted. The formation of a consultative body to engage in dialogue with medical workers suggests a step towards finding a resolution to the ongoing strike, which has garnered widespread attention in South Korea. President Yoon’s directive to the Prime Minister highlights the importance of addressing the concerns of the striking trainee doctors while also considering the broader impact on healthcare services in the country.