In Seoul, large hospitals are no longer able to cope with the influx of patients, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency writes, reports UNN.
Details
For the third day in a row, thousands of junior doctors resign in the city to protest the government's plan to increase admission quotas at medical schools. According to the agency, 8,816 resident doctors and interns have submitted their resignations in recent days.
The publication notes that there are about 13 thousand resident and intern doctors in Seoul. Currently, 71.2% of all junior doctors in the city have resigned. Due to collective layoffs at Severance Hospital in downtown Seoul, the number of surgeries has been halved. At St. Mary's Hospital and Asan Medical Center, the number of surgeries decreased by 30%.
Resident doctors are protesting against the government's intention to increase the quota for medical education at universities by 2,000 places starting in 2025. Currently, the threshold is 3058 places. The authorities justify their decision by citing a shortage of staff in rural areas and a lack of specialists in some medical fields. Residents and interns believe that the increase in quotas will lead to a deterioration in the quality of education at universities.