Lim Hyun-taek, head of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), made the comments at a rally of about 10,000 doctors earlier in the day, as some community doctors staged a day-long walkout to protest against the government's medical reform, Yonhap reported. . News agency.
"If the government does not accept the doctors' reasonable demands, the community doctors will walk off their jobs indefinitely from June 27," Lim said.
The demands include revisiting the issue of medical school quota increase and withdrawal of all punitive measures against trainee doctors leaving hospitals since late February.
The government has completely rejected such demands.
According to the health ministry, on Tuesday, about 14.9 per cent of the 36,059 community hospitals, excluding dental and oriental medicine clinics, informed the government that they were taking a day off.The figure was less than half the week-long walkout by doctors in 2020 in protest against the government's medical reform plan.
Meanwhile, the Korea Severe Disease Association, a local patients' advocacy group, condemned the walkout, noting that doctors have "abandoned the Hippocratic Oath," which refers to the oath taken by health workers.
Earlier in the day, the government ordered community doctors who had joined the one-day walkout to return to work and warned that they would face legal penalties if they did not comply with the order.
Health Minister Cho Kyu-hong said, "If medical voidness becomes reality, we plan to conduct on-site investigations and gather evidence to initiate administrative action, including suspending practices, in accordance with medical law."
"We also plan to take stronger action against social media posts that incite illegal collective action to refuse medical services under the guise of voluntary participation," Cho said."
"If the government does not accept the doctors' reasonable demands, the community doctors will walk off their jobs indefinitely from June 27," Lim said.
The demands include revisiting the issue of medical school quota increase and withdrawal of all punitive measures against trainee doctors leaving hospitals since late February.
The government has completely rejected such demands.
According to the health ministry, on Tuesday, about 14.9 per cent of the 36,059 community hospitals, excluding dental and oriental medicine clinics, informed the government that they were taking a day off.The figure was less than half the week-long walkout by doctors in 2020 in protest against the government's medical reform plan.
Meanwhile, the Korea Severe Disease Association, a local patients' advocacy group, condemned the walkout, noting that doctors have "abandoned the Hippocratic Oath," which refers to the oath taken by health workers.
Earlier in the day, the government ordered community doctors who had joined the one-day walkout to return to work and warned that they would face legal penalties if they did not comply with the order.
Health Minister Cho Kyu-hong said, "If medical voidness becomes reality, we plan to conduct on-site investigations and gather evidence to initiate administrative action, including suspending practices, in accordance with medical law."
"We also plan to take stronger action against social media posts that incite illegal collective action to refuse medical services under the guise of voluntary participation," Cho said."
