Medical professors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University will push ahead with their plan to stage an indefinite walkout starting Thursday, an emergency committee representing the professors said Wednesday.
Under the plan, professors at Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital will halt treatment of outpatients, as well as non-emergent surgeries, according to the emergency committee.
The walkout will continue until the government draws up tangible measures to resolve the situation, triggered by the government’s decision to hike the medical school admission quota and impose administrative orders on junior doctors who have left worksites since late February, the emergency committee said.
Treatment in essential areas, such as the emergency room, the intensive care unit and child delivery room, will not be affected, the committee said, adding professors in other areas will have the option to choose whether they will join the walkout.
The move comes after some 72.2 p
ercent of 735 medical professors who responded to a survey conducted by the emergency committee said they are willing to join the indefinite strike.
But medical professors at other major hospitals, such as Seoul National University, Catholic University of Korea and Samsung Medical Center, have shelved their plans to carry out an indefinite walkout in apparent consideration of patients and the public.
The decision came amid growing expectations over potential talks between the medical community and the government to resolve their monthslong standoff over medical reform.
Source: Yonhap News Agency