Over 8,000 South Korea doctors join walkout over med school quotas
Asia
22 February, 2024, 09:00 am
Last modified: 22 February, 2024, 08:59 am
Nearly 9,300 of the country's 13,000 interns and resident doctors at 100 large hospitals nationwide have tendered resignations so far
A medical worker walks at Pusan National University Hospital in Busan, South Korea, February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
More than 8,000 South Korean trainee doctors have walked off the job in protest against a government plan to admit more students to medical schools, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The walkout, which started on Tuesday, has prompted major hospitals to postpone procedures and turn away patients seeking emergency care and fanned fears of wider disruption in the country's medical system if the dispute is drawn out.
Nearly 9,300 of the country's 13,000 interns and resident doctors at 100 large hospitals nationwide have tendered resignations so far, and more than 8,000 had left their workplace as of 10 p.m. on Wednesday (1300 GMT), vice health minister Park Min-soo told a briefing.
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