Despite virus spread, doctors stage strike over plan to increase medical students
Thousands of trainee doctors in South Korea went on strike on Friday to protest the government's plan to increase the number of medical students, drawing public criticism amid fears of nationwide spread of the new coronavirus.
Trainee doctors have staged a limited strike since early this month after the government announced the plan to boost the number of medical students by 4,000 over the next decade to better cope with public health crises.
Despite the growing calls to return to work amid the pandemic, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) made clear the government must first scrap its reform plans before the strikes are called off. The KMA said doctors will stage the three-day walkout set for next week as planned.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip criticized doctors for continuing strikes despite the steep jump in virus infections in the greater capital area, which showed signs of spreading nationwide.
The government will sternly deal with the strike by doctors "in accordance with law and principle," Kim said.
Kim reiterated that the government is ready to start talks with doctors to discuss the plan to boost the number of medical students if doctors return to their duties and cancel the strike, although the health ministry said it too can't abandon its policy.
"Increasing the number of medical students has been under consideration for a long time and had been the center of talks with the medical community," said ministry spokesman Son Young-rae. He said demands being made by doctors call for nullifying all the social consensus built up so far on this issue and cannot be accepted as the government has to respect discussions that have taken place so far.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also expressed regret, saying that, "The doctors, who should protect the lives of the people in the serious situation as COVID-19 is spreading again, have begun the collective action."
A petition calling for the striking doctors to stop their action has gathered nearly 200,000 signatures.
The Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA) said the protest took place with fourth-year residents working at large hospitals going on strike first, followed by third-year trainee doctors Saturday and first- and second-year residents Sunday.
All trainee doctors working at emergency rooms will also all go on strike starting Friday for an indefinite period of time, it said.
Major hospitals, such as Seoul Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center, put off non-critical surgery.
In addition to regular medical treatment, coronavirus screening centers around the country may have to cut back on the number of people they can check, as trainee doctors have been assigned to such facilities.
The country added 324 more COVID-19 cases, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,670, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tally was the highest since March 8 when the daily virus cases reached 367.
The number of daily infections has been in the triple digits since Aug. 14, when 103 cases were reported, About 1,900 cases have been newly identified in the past eight days. (Yonhap)
-
上一篇
-
下一篇
相关推荐
-
10 Places to Get to Know Paul Bunyan
-
剧作家刘恒志:《南繁硅谷传奇》以影视形式弘扬袁隆平精神
-
Verified 'Elon Musk' Twitter account celebrates election with crypto scam
-
Scientists just fit a GIF onto DNA, which might be the most important thing to ever happen to GIF
-
雅安市第四人民医院:工娱治疗让患者康复之路充满希望
-
Korea, Australia voice concerns over NK nukes, call for diplomatic efforts
- 最近发表
-
- 夏凤俭与四川建安工业有限责任公司董事长耿海波座谈
- Ipswich's promotion bid stalled by Hull draw
- 'North Korea remains hostile toward South Korea'
- The best pet vacuum deals at Amazon this week
- [From the Scene] How ‘world’s first oil town’ is wrestling to become ‘green'
- [Reporter's Notebook] Humanitarian aid to North Korea should continue
- Facebook wants NYU to stop sharing political ad data it keeps secret
- North Korea fires short
- 24 Museums Dedicated to Black History
- “三朵金花”健康成绩优良
- 随机阅读
-
- 21 Lost and Lonely Cemeteries
- Coinbase launches crypto debit card in the U.S.
- How to improve your self
- UN Security Council to meet over North Korea missile launches: reports
- PS5 Pro: There are new whispers that the release date is fast approaching
- This 'Game of Thrones' moment was the biggest one on YouTube
- Alcaraz holds off Struff to reach Madrid quarter
- KFC is selling space junk shaped like a chicken sandwich
- Yoon approves labor minister's appointment
- How Tesla super fans get the add
- Twitter continues to label Trump's misinformation about vote count
- Coach gets suspended sentence for beating female students
- 'Black Myth: Wukong' PS5 review in progress: A potential masterpiece
- Coach gets suspended sentence for beating female students
- Trump: 'very positive' correspondence recently with N. Korea
- Beyoncé and her babies are being rightly compared to works of timeless art
- How to unblock Xnxx for free
- North Korea again raps Seoul over joint military exercise
- UN Security Council to meet over North Korea missile launches: reports
- Grindr Unwrapped reveals the defining gay pop culture moments of 2023
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-