Seoul, March 27 (IANS) – The South Korean health ministry is calling on junior doctors to end their five-week-long walkout and come forward for talks with the government. Despite repeated appeals, trainee doctors have refused to engage in dialogue, leading to disruptions in major hospitals.
Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo urged defiant trainee doctors to “form a responsible delegation and come to the dialogue table with the government,” as reported by Yonhap news agency. The ongoing strike, initiated by about 12,000 interns and resident doctors since February 20, has led to the cancellation and delay of surgeries and other health services.
The trainee doctors have been protesting against the government’s plan to increase the number of medical students, and their refusal to participate in talks is attributed to a lack of their representatives, according to ministry officials. In a show of solidarity, medical professors at major university hospitals have also started resigning this week in support of the junior doctors’ labor action.
Park announced that the government will provide additional fiscal policy support for public healthcare systems next year, including financial assistance for trainee doctors. The ongoing standoff between the authorities and the junior doctors has highlighted the increasing strain on the country’s healthcare system due to the prolonged strike.
The government’s efforts to end the impasse and resolve the issues with the defiant trainee doctors are crucial in ensuring the smooth functioning of major hospitals and healthcare services in South Korea. The escalation of the strike and the resignation of medical professors further underscore the urgent need for a resolution to the ongoing crisis.
Despite the challenges posed by the strike, the commitment of the South Korean health ministry to address the concerns of the junior doctors and enhance support for public healthcare systems signals a potential breakthrough in the standoff. The outcome of the dialogue between the government and the trainee doctors will be critical in determining the future of healthcare services in the country.
