Ryu Ok Hada and Park Dan, both aspiring doctors in South Korea, have taken a significant stand by resigning from their positions and joining the protest outside the hospital where they once worked. Holding his medical gown, Ryu symbolizes the frustration shared by over 7,800 interns and residents who have decided to step down, highlighting the ongoing confrontation with the government, which has even threatened them with arrest.
According to Ryu and Park, who represent a vital component of South Korea's esteemed medical infrastructure, junior doctors like themselves feel overburdened, undercompensated, and neglected.
The repercussions of this mass resignation have been profound, with hospitals forced to reject patients and postpone surgeries as approximately two-thirds of the nation's young doctors have withdrawn from their duties this month as a form of protest.
The young medical practitioners argue that their remuneration and working conditions should be the focal point of concern, rather than the government's emphasis on increasing the number of physicians.
While authorities assert the necessity of bolstering medical personnel to enhance healthcare accessibility in remote regions and cater to the escalating needs of an aging population, the dissenting doctors believe that the existing system exploits the labor of inexperienced trainees.
Ryu, aged 25, who spoke to Reuters, revealed the grueling nature of his work at one of the country's esteemed university hospitals, where he endured more than 100-hour workweeks for a monthly salary ranging from 2 million won to 4 million won, inclusive of overtime compensation. In comparison, first-year US residents typically earn an average of about USD 5,000 per month, as per data from the American Medical Association.
Despite the outcry from these young medical professionals, hospitals have yet to process their resignations, and the government has issued directives for them to resume work, threatening legal repercussions such as arrest or license revocation. The doctors, however, maintain that they are not on strike but are exercising their right to voice concerns about their working conditions and compensation.
The impact of the doctors' collective action is palpable, particularly in large teaching hospitals where they constitute a significant portion of the workforce, serving crucial roles in emergency departments, intensive care units, and operating rooms. Consequently, emergency rooms at major hospitals are facing critical shortages of beds, prompting the Prime Minister to announce extended operating hours to meet the surge in demand.
Park, aged 33, who leads the Korean Intern Resident Association, emphasizes the need for authorities to address essential disciplines like pediatrics and emergency medicine at major hospitals. Additionally, doctors are advocating for improved legal safeguards against malpractice lawsuits and reforms to a system reliant on underpaid labor and out-of-pocket services to sustain hospitals.
Amidst their dedication to patient care, doctors like Park find themselves torn between their professional obligations and a government seemingly unresponsive to their grievances. Nonetheless, they remain resolute in their pursuit of a healthcare system that values their contributions and ensures fair treatment for all stakeholders involved.
