IANS | 09 Jul, 2024
The South Korean government announced a decision on Monday to withdraw
its plan to take administrative steps, including the suspension of medical
licenses, against striking trainee doctors in an effort to seek a breakthrough
in monthslong medical service disruptions.
More than 12,000 trainee doctors, over 90 per cent of the total, have
been on strike in the form of mass resignations since February 20 in protest of
the government's medical school admissions quota hike, and most of them have
rejected the state order to return to work, reports Yonhap News Agency.
"Starting today, the government decided not to seek administrative
steps against any trainee doctors regardless of their returning to hospitals
given the demand from the medical community and the health care
situations," Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong told a press briefing after a
meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
"The government will give special favours to returning junior
doctors regarding their training, as well as to those who opt to apply again
for training courses in September," Cho added.
The government had said it would suspend the medical licenses of the
striking doctors and take other punitive, administrative steps for collective
action in accordance with the law.
But the medical community has called for the withdrawal, saying such
measures have rather worsened the situation as doctors are reluctant to return
to work out of concerns that the move would lead to punishment against their
defiant colleagues.
Officials later hinted at suspending, rather than cancelling, such
plans, but Cho made it clear that the government would accept the doctors'
demand.
The decision, however, could spark criticism that it hurts the principle
of fairness over the government's handling of labour actions as doctors are
allowed to go unpunished despite illegal acts.
"It aims to minimise the medical service vacuum for seriously ill,
emergency patients and to nurture professional doctors at a proper time to
guarantee public interests," Cho said, asking training hospitals to
finalise the number of vacancies by next Monday.
It is not immediately known how many of the striking doctors would
return to work following the announcement.
"We believe that the withdrawal of administrative measures was the
minimum step necessary to initiate a dialogue," a third-year resident told
Yonhap News Agency, requesting not to be named. "I believe this is the
right direction, regardless of whether it was sufficient or not."
An Suk-kyoon, who leads the emergency committee of medical professors at
Yonsei University, however, noted that the government fell short of offering
credible messages to the medical community.
"Although the government's announcement may mark a half step
forward, it only withdrew the administrative steps instead of cancelling
them," An said.
For more fundamental solutions, the government vowed to push for
reforming the manpower structure of major general hospitals by reducing their
dependence on trainee doctors and boosting the number and roles of professional
doctors and physical assistance nurses.
By doing so, large hospitals will be able to better focus on providing
treatment to emergency patients, and those who suffer from critical cases and
rare diseases, according to the health ministry.
--IANS