Gov't initiates discussion to improve working conditions for junior doctors

The government will hold a discussion session on Thursday with medical professionals to improve the working conditions of junior doctors, aiming to address concerns raised by striking doctors.

Medical professionals walk inside a general hospital in Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The government will hold a discussion session on Thursday with medical professionals to improve the working conditions of junior doctors, aiming to address concerns raised by striking doctors.

The session comes a day after the government finalized its decision to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 seats.

According to the government and medical industry sources, the Health Ministry will host the consultation session at the President Hotel in central Seoul at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo and Lim In-seok, a pediatrics professor at Chung-Ang University, will attend the event. Lim will oversee how each hospital manages and provides training to its junior doctors under the ministerial body.

The government views the session as an opportunity for communication with the medical sector. The event is intended to gather opinions and ideas to enhance the labor conditions of young doctors.

It has been a month since trainee doctors left their hospitals to protest against the government's decision to expand the enrollment quota at medical schools.

The government decided to provide a monthly subsidy of 1 million won ($752) to every trainee doctor in the pediatrics department and plans to extend the benefit to doctors serving in other essential medical fields such as obstetrics and emergency medicine.

In the first half of this year, authorities will pilot a program to reduce trainee doctors’ working hours. They will also review ways to lower the maximum weekly working hours, currently set at 80 hours.

The government will conduct due diligence surveys to understand how training is provided to doctors. Additionally, it will facilitate junior doctors’ participation in governmental dialogues by allowing them to assess their workplaces and labor conditions.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]