Patient disruptions increase amid doctors' nationwide one-day strike
A notice about doctors' nationwide one-day strike is attached on the entrance at a hospital in Daejeon, June 18. Yonhap
Patients nationwide experienced increased health care disruptions on Tuesday, having to return home without treatment or endure long waits, as neighborhood clinics closed as part of a general strike by doctors protesting the medical school quota hike.
Some community doctors across the nation closed their clinics for the day to participate in a one-day walkout organized by the Korea Medical Association, a major lobby group for doctors, protesting against the government's medical reform initiative.
The health ministry said that only 4 percent of the country's 36,371 community clinics, excluding dental and oriental medicine practices, have submitted mandatory reports for business suspension for Tuesday.
Health care service disruptions for patients were, however, pronounced as the walkout came amid significantly reduced services at general hospitals nationwide due to a monthslong strike by trainee doctors.
The previous day, Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul and three of its affiliated hospitals also went on an indefinite walkout, demanding that the government reconsider the medical school quota increase and withdraw punitive measures against protesting trainee doctors.
A 33-year-old patient, surnamed Kim, was taken aback after discovering that the otolaryngologist's office in her neighborhood in Seoul's southern Seocho district, where she visited for sudden deafness, was closed.
"I am in big trouble. I was told to preserve the 'golden time' for treatment because I can permanently lose my hearing if not treated promptly," the patient said, as she urgently checked a nearby clinic for service availability.
Patients wait at a waiting room in Seoul National University Hospital, Jung District, Seoul, June 18. Yonhap
Including Kim, seven patients visited the clinic in Seocho during a 20-minute period on Tuesday, only to walk away after discovering a notice of service closure posted on the office front.
A normally busy pediatrics office located in an apartment-crowded area in Suwon, south of Seoul, was also among the clinics that suspended services for the day.
A notice posted on its entrance said, "Hospital closed due to an internal situation. We are sorry for the inconvenience."
Three of the four pediatrics clinics in another apartment-heavy area in Yongin, south of Seoul, were closed, resulting in a waiting list of more than a dozen patients at the clinic that remained open.
"I've heard a lot about the medical-government conflict, but I have never been so directly affected by it as I am today," a resident told Yonhap News Agency.
"I am very disappointed with both the government and the medical sector for aggravating the issue to this extent," the resident said.
Patient disruptions were also reported across the country, including the eastern city of Chuncheon and the southern resort island of Jeju.
A 34-year-old mother, surnamed Koh, took her two daughters to a neighborhood pediatrics office in Jeju for their colds, but had to return home empty-handed after finding the clinic closed.
"We come to the clinic very often due to their colds, but we were given no information about the closure. I am not sure if a clinic, especially a pediatrics office, can suspend its services so suddenly," she said.
University general hospitals nationwide, already experiencing disruptions due to the prolonged absence of trainee doctors, suffered further setbacks as senior doctors took the day off to join the general walkout.
No critical emergency medical situations were reported due to the one-day walkout, however, as only a fraction of the neighborhood clinics across the nation participated in Tuesday's collective action.
The government is pledging to respond with stern action to the walkout and has issued an administrative order requiring doctors to return to work, warning that anyone in defiance will have their medical licenses suspended. (Yonhap)