South Korea has said that it will start taking legal action against trainee doctors who have been protesting against the government move to increase medical school admissions, Reuters reported.
Health minister Cho Kyoo-hong in a news briefing said that the government will conduct on-site inspections to check on trainee doctors who have not returned to work.
About 70% of the total doctors in the country have been on strike since February 20. This has led to the cancellation of some surgeries and treatments.
The government has already warned the 7,000 trainee physicians that they could face suspension of their medical licence along with jail terms and fines if they didn’t return to work.
There is no sign of either of the sides backing down. On Sunday, thousands of doctors took part in a massive rally in Seoul defying government calls to return.
The World Medical Association, a group representing physicians, criticised the Korean government for attempting to stifle the voices of elected leaders.
The young doctors who are protesting say the government should first address pay and working conditions before trying to increase the number of physicians.
The government says the plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools by 2,000 starting in the 2025 academic year is needed in a rapidly ageing society with one of the lowest numbers of doctors to patients ratios in developed economies of 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people.
The government’s move has found support with the general public with a recent Gallup poll revealing that 76% of the respondents were in favour of the move. There are critics who say that with the general elections due in April, this is nothing more than a political ploy to win votes.
The strike has led to hospitals across the country being stretched to the limits with patients having their treatments postponed amid a shortage of doctors.
