SEOUL
\nA group of South Korean senior doctors said Saturday that they would resign starting March 25 in support of junior medics in a nearly month-long strike over government training reforms that has plunged hospitals into chaos.
\nThousands of trainee doctors stopped working on February 20 to protest government reforms aimed at easing doctor shortages by increasing the number of medical students \u2014 which the medics claim is the final straw for overworked and underpaid early career professionals.
\nCrucial surgeries and treatments have been canceled, but the government says the country has so far avoided a full-blown crisis thanks in part to nurses and senior doctors stepping up, as well as military medics who have been sent in to help.
\nRepresentatives of medical professors at 20 universities \u2014 who are also senior doctors at general hospitals \u2014 held a meeting late Friday, with those at 16 institutions \u201coverwhelmingly in favor\u201d of supporting their junior colleagues, said Bang Jae-seung, the head of the group.
\nProfessors at \u201ceach university have decided to voluntarily submit resignation letters starting from March 25th,\u201d Bang told reporters Saturday.
\nBut \u201cwe have reached a consensus that until the resignation is finalized, each individual should do their best in the treatment of patients in their respective positions, just as they have done so far,\u201d he added.
\nBang did not disclose the exact number of professors expected to walk off the job on March 25th.
\nThe health ministry this week reiterated that negotiations over the reform plans were out of the question, saying it would implement the health care reforms \u201cwithout wavering.\u201d
\nThe government has ordered junior medics to return or face legal action, and has moved to suspend the medical licenses of those who refuse to comply, while offering incentives and setting up a hotline to support any who defy the walkout.
\nSeoul is pushing to admit 2,000 more students to medical schools annually from next year to address what it says is one of the lowest doctor-to-population ratios among developed nations.
\nBang said Saturday that doctors cannot agree to an increase of 2,000 more students under any circumstances.
\n\u201cWe request the government once again. Please reconsider the figure of 2,000. Without this, initiating any negotiation will be impossible,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIf the current situation continues, it won\u2019t be long before university hospitals collapse, dealing a significant and long-lasting blow to our country\u2019s medical system,\u201d he added.
\nDoctors say they fear the reform will erode the quality of service and medical education, but proponents of the plan accuse them of trying to safeguard their salaries and social status.
\nThis week, the junior doctors said they had submitted a \u201cletter requesting emergency intervention\u201d from the International Labour Organization (ILO), claiming they were being \u201cforced\u201d by the government into unwanted labor. The government has dismissed the claim.
\nThe reform plan enjoys broad public support, but a new poll by local media found 34 percent of people wanted the government to negotiate to end the standoff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SEOUL A group of South Korean senior doctors said Saturday that they would resign starting March 25 in support of junior medics in a nearly month-long strike over government training reforms that has plunged hospitals into chaos. Thousands of trainee doctors stopped working on February 20 to protest government reforms aimed at easing doctor shortages […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-394244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n