Crisis Management for a Conflict with North Korea

Korea Times | English | News | Sept. 13, 2024 | Strikes and Work Stoppages

Korea has declared a special emergency medical response period for two weeks in September due to a strike by young doctors, which is straining the medical system. The government plans to utilize all available resources to ensure medical services and will temporarily increase doctors' fees from health insurance during the national holiday period next week. This includes a significant raise in examination fees for specialist doctors at regional emergency medical centers. To address staff shortages, military doctors are being deployed to assist in some hospitals. Thousands of trainee doctors, including interns and residents, have gone on strike in protest against a government plan to increase medical student admissions. As a result, hospitals have faced challenges, including turning away patients at emergency rooms and existing doctors dealing with heavier workloads. Approximately 8,000 medical clinics and hospitals will operate daily during Chuseok, a major holiday, an increase from about 3,600 during previous holidays. The Prime Minister advised the public to seek care at local clinics based on symptom severity.