Medical professors say they will resign next week if government doesn’t scrap its plan to increase medical school admissions

Dr. Joo Young-soo, president of the National Center for Medical Research, held an emergency press conference at the National Center for Medical Research in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Sunday to clarify his position on the statement of the Korean Medical Association. During the press conference, Dr. Joo said he disagreed with the contents of the statement and called for the immediate return of specialists. By Taehyung Cho

As the time for the suspension of licenses for doctors who left the hospital in opposition to the increase in medical school admissions is approaching, medical professors, paid doctors, and public hospital specialists are saying they will resign. Joo Young-soo, head of the National Medical Center (NMC) in Seoul, called for their return, saying "It is disastrous and hopeless.” The government still has not opened up any room for compromise.

Joo held an emergency press conference at the NMC on March 17 and said, "I disagree with the recognition of the problem (of the National Medical Center Specialists' Council) on the cause of the current medical disruption and I am deeply saddened and concerned that they issued a statement with the name of the NMC, which has a significant position and weight in our society, and mentioned irrational responses they will take in the future, in a situation where there is no consensus with all members of the NMC.”

On the 15th, the National Medical Center Specialists' Council issued a statement saying that "The government is clearly the driving force behind the current situation," adding, "We earnestly hope that trainee doctors will not be disadvantaged, or if that happens, the specialists of the NMC will not sit idly by." The NMC is the central public hospital under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This is the first time that public hospital doctors have made a statement in the current situation.

I think the meaning of 'not sit idly by' is not much different from leaving hospitals and, in a more radical way, taking a group action to fulfill their interests by taking the health and life of patients as hostage,” Joo said. "I am quite despairing that people with the profession of doctors can talk like this.“

Referring to a series of recent collective resignation resolutions by medical professors, Joo said, "Professors should have used the expression that they should have a conversation and compromise with trainee doctors and persuade them to help the government solve the problem smoothly with them." He called for the doctors to return to work, saying” The level of threat to the health and lives of patients due to the collective action of the doctors is quite serious."

According to the NMC, 55 of 71 trainee doctors have submitted their resignations and left the hospital as of March 15.

The emergency committee for professors at medical schools across the country decided to submit a letter of resignation from the 25th. It is the last day when trainee doctors who have received a prior notice of administrative disposition from the government must submit their opinions, and if they do not submit their opinions, their licenses may be suspended. According to the emergency committee, 16 of the 20 medical schools have overwhelmingly decided to submit their resignations, while four medical schools are in the process of collecting opinions. However, even if they resign, the doctors said they would do their best to treat patients at their training hospitals. Paid doctors who work at medical institutions and receive salaries have also said they will resign if they are punished.

Medical professors are saying, "The government must scrap its plan to increase 2,000 more seats in medical schools first before having a conversation with us. The government said it "can never be adjusted." "The professors are saying that they will not stand still if their students are punished, which is a challenge to the rule of law," said Park Min-soo, vice minister of health and welfare, appearing on YTN. "They are only asking the government to scrap the plan, but there is no mention of the doctors’ illegal action of leaving their workplace.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.