Access to medical treatments is generally not a major concern in developed countries like Korea, although costs can vary. However, a nearly four-month-long dispute between the government and the medical community over increasing the enrollment quota for medical schools has made health care somewhat less accessible. On June 18, access to doctors may become even more difficult - a deplorable situation that must be prevented. The Korean Medical Association (KMA), representing 140,000 physicians nationwide, has announced a one-day strike. They are demanding that the government abandon the plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota. In fact, 73.5 percent of its doctors have indicated their willingness to participate in the strike if called upon. For now, the strike is planned for just one day, but the KMA has warned that this could change depending on the government's response. The government has ordered the general practitioners continue providing services and to report any hospital closures to the au thorities. The call for walkout comes at a critical and frustrating moment in this medical crisis. Last month, an appellate court upheld the government's plan to increase the medical school quota. Following this decision, medical schools announced their admissions plans last week, which include an expansion of 1,500 additional seats. On June 17, medical professors at four Seoul National University (SNU) hospitals in Seoul and Bundang are expected to walk out, except for those working in emergency rooms and intensive care units. The professors are demanding that the government revoke, rather than merely suspend, the administrative penalties against junior doctors who walked out on Feb. 20. At this point in the standoff, both the government and the medical community need to explore other options. They can find solutions by restarting dialogue from scratch on the issue of expanding the enrollment quota for the 2026 academic year. The government should make aggressive efforts to talk to the physicians, while t he medical community must reaffirm their commitment to patient care. With 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, Korea has one of the lowest numbers of physicians per capita among OECD member nations. A large majority of Koreans support an increase in the number of doctors. Since the Feb. 20 walkout by junior doctors, the medical community has rebutted the government's plan by saying that increasing the enrollment quota for medical schools will not necessarily mean more doctors in essential disciplines. Since the appellate court ruled in favor of the government's plan, both sides have failed to narrow their differences on how to address the common problem that both have acknowledged. Nevertheless, historical precedent seems to fuel the medical community's resistance. This is not the first time doctors have launched a full-scale protest. In fact, it is the fourth since 2000. Each time, the government ultimately relented, driven by concerns over jeopardizing patients' lives. This pattern has reinforced the medical co mmunity's belief that the government can never truly prevail against the doctors. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has categorized any collective action by the doctors that puts lives at risk as an "illegal act." Fellow professors at SNU asked the school's medical professors to reconsider the walkout, saying, "Reform must be supported by the people and society, and earn the government's consent." Patients are also denouncing the move. The Korea Severe Disease Association issued a statement condemning the doctors' and professors' walkout as a reflection of "extreme selfishness" neglecting public health for the pursuit of their interests. If some 30 percent of doctors participate in the collective action, the full-fledged strike is predicted to cause significant disruptions. The government must make every effort to engage in dialogue with the medical community to prevent the strike. Likewise, physicians should halt their steps toward collective action. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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