Some say, “Hospitals can operate without specialty doctors… don’t want to go on strike,”,
Medical staff moving at Seoul Asan Hospital in Songpa-gu, Seoul on June 11, 2024. /News1 ⓒ News1 Reporter Park Ji-hye,
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, ‘(Seoul=News1) Kim Gyu-bin, Cheon Seon-hyoo, Kang Seung-ji = A nationwide committee of professors from medical schools affiliated with the Korea Medical Colleges Association also announced that they would participate in the general strike of the Korean Medical Association (KMA) on the 18th. However, at some universities, while more than 90% support total strike, there are still uncertainties in the level of participation as some universities have expressed their intention to not participate in the strike.’,
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, ‘According to the medical community on the 12th, for medical school professors to participate in the general strike, they must submit an application for leave to their affiliated hospital and obtain approval. Subsequently, communication with patients for any schedule changes is conducted through the hospital’s administrative department.’,
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, ‘The committee of professors at Seoul National University’s College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital announced that starting from the 17th, all departments except for emergency rooms and critical care units will go on an indefinite strike. By being the first university hospital to announce an indefinite general strike, it triggered discussions on strikes among professors from other university hospitals, providing momentum for the KMA.’,
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, ‘Seoul National University Hospital itself has a strong voice supporting the strike internally, with a considerable number of professors expected to participate. A professor at the hospital said, “Since Hospital Director Kim Young-tae announced a ban on strikes, there is increased resentment among professors towards the hospital director,” adding, “Each professor is personally contacting patients (regarding changes in medical treatment) and there is a growing movement to participate in the strike.”‘,
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, ‘The highest level of participation was indicated by professors at Korea University Anam Hospital. The committee of professors at Korea University Anam Hospital stated in a position paper the day before that over 90% of the faculty had come to a consensus to prepare for a medical crisis under the leadership of the KMA.’,
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, ‘The committee of professors at Yonsei University College of Medicine announced that starting from the 27th, all outpatient services, non-emergency surgeries, and procedures, excluding emergency rooms, ICUs, dialysis rooms, and delivery rooms, will be suspended. A survey conducted by the committee indicated that out of 735 total professors, 531 (72.2%) supported the indefinite strike. The committee stated that since a general strike was resolved at the KMA, they would follow the KMA guidelines regarding the group strike.’,
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, ‘The committee of professors at Samsung Seoul Hospital affiliated with Sungkyunkwan University’s School of Medicine decided to participate in the general strike initiated by the KMA, and the professors decided to take leave and adjust their medical schedules. The committee stated that in a survey conducted over two days, more than two-thirds of the respondents expressed a willingness to participate.’,
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, ‘Professors from eight hospitals under the Catholic Medical Center including Seoul Saint Mary’s Hospital also decided to go on strike on the 18th. The committee of professors at the Catholic Medical School stated that in a survey where over 60% of members participated, more than 75% agreed to protest against the government through the strike. However, regarding additional actions such as indefinite strike, they have decided to observe the government’s response and discuss it at a general professors’ meeting on the 20th.’,
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, ‘The National Association of Medical College Professors (NAMCP), which represents 40 medical schools nationwide, held a general meeting on this day to decide whether to participate in the KMA strike. An NAMCP official said, “As of this morning, 27 medical schools have decided to join the KMA strike,” adding, “There are universities that follow the KMA’s decision without a separate vote.”‘,
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, ‘However, it was reported that despite some universities resolving to strike, many have not submitted leave applications, indicating uncertainty in total strike participation. To go on strike, information regarding rescheduled appointments, acceptance of new patients, among other matters, needs to be communicated, but there has been no such movement yet.’,
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, ‘The committee of professors at Ulsan University, which designates Seoul Asan Hospital, Ulsan University Hospital, and Gangneung Asan Hospital as training hospitals, discussed plans for an indefinite strike in an online meeting the day before. They will decide whether to go on an indefinite strike through a vote on the same day or by the 13th.’,
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, ‘The participation rate in the total strike at Seoul Asan Hospital is expected to be somewhat lower. An official from Seoul Asan Hospital said, “The number of participants did not meet the expected number in the online Zoom meeting, and it is difficult to see significant support for group strikes within the hospital,” adding, “We need to see the results of the group strike survey today to determine the level of participation.”‘,
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, ‘Some university hospitals have indicated that they are not considering a group strike. A chairman of a medical school professors’ committee said, “Most do not want a group strike, and conducting surveys or votes under the pretext of ‘autonomous resolution’ is considered meaningless,” adding, “The current hospital atmosphere suggests that hospitals can be run for a considerable period without specialty doctors, and no one is strongly opposed to this.”‘,
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, ‘An internal medicine doctor at a major university hospital in the metropolitan area mentioned, “As leading hospitals have been implementing measures like ‘weekly holidays’ once a week, patients are flocking to other university hospitals due to the inconvenience, and no one wants a strike,” noting that abruptly delaying scheduled appointments and surgeries with only a week left until the 18th is also not an easily achievable situation in reality.’