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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
South Korea has raised its care crisis level to "serious" as of Friday morning after thousands of doctors walked off the job this week to protest against a government plan to raise the number of medical school admissions, the health ministry said.
South Korea will maximize the use of public hospitals to respond to growing strains on the medical system after a mass walkout by trainee doctors, the prime minister said on Friday.
The protests by almost two-thirds of the country's young doctors have forced hospitals to turn away patients and cancel procedures, raising fears about further disruption to the medical system should the dispute drag on.
"The operation of public medical institutions will be raised to the maximum level," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said at the opening of a disaster management meeting.
Public hospitals will extend operating hours and will also open on weekends and holidays, he said. So far, more than 8,400 doctors have joined the walkout, the health ministry said, equivalent to about 64% of the entire number of resident and intern doctors in South Korea.