‘SKY’ university hospital professors to join weekly strike

Professors of the five largest hospitals – Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, ASAN Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital – decided to join a one-a-week strike. The emergency response committee of national medical schools, which consists of 19 medical schools across South Korea, held a general meeting and discussed a measure to suspend non-emergency surgeries and outpatient care once a week.

The council of professors at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea announced on Friday that it decided to suspend non-emergency surgeries and outpatient treatment every Friday starting next month. However, the actual off days may vary by department as each department will decide which day to implement the policy. Other large hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital, also adopted a similar policy.

Professors who have been exhausting themselves since interns and residents left hospitals 10 weeks ago are adopting a policy of taking one day off per week. Professors of Korea University College of Medicine also adopted a similar policy on Friday, which will take effect on Tuesday. The emergency response committee held a general meeting on Friday afternoon and discussed a policy to not provide non-emergency surgeries and treatment at 51 hospitals affiliated with 19 medical schools across the country. These hospitals previously set up a policy during a general meeting held on Tuesday to take a day off on April 30 or May 3.

However, it remains unclear how widely the policy will be adopted. Despite their previously announced plan, there was no issue with patient treatment on Friday at Chungnam National University Hospital, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, Wonkwang University Hospital, and Wonkwang University Sanbon Hospital. It is believed that normal patient care was provided as treatment and surgery schedules made several months ago couldn’t be changed.

The Korea Cancer Patients Rights Council announced a statement and said cancer patients and their families are worn out due to a series of resignations by interns, residents, and medical professors, followed by a weekly shutdown at university hospitals. The council argued that the government should release a list of resigned professors to allow patients to set up future treatment plans.


조유라 기자 jyr0101@donga.com