Criticism grows against doctors' strike amid pandemic

Doctors hold pickets in a protest against the government's medical workforce reform plans on Tuesday at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-jin

Public criticism is mounting over the ongoing doctors' strike, which has begun disrupting medical services at some hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Tuesday, thousands of trainee doctors have been staging an indefinite strike for five days since Friday, to protest the government's medical workforce reform plan. The strike was joined by hundreds of doctors Monday.

The number is expected to increase as the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which represents more than 130,000 doctors, will begin a three-day nationwide walkout starting Wednesday.

But it seems that their collective action amid the pandemic crisis is failing to gain public support.

The hashtag #disqualifythem was trending on Twitter, Monday, as many users called for the disqualification of doctors who “are using public safety as a negotiating tool.”

A twitter user with the ID @ddang*** wrote, “Nowhere in the world do physicians go on a national strike threatening the lives of citizens. The government must take away their doctor's license.”

“Their unprofessional behavior is very disappointing. They have abandoned patients in the pandemic crisis,” said another Twitter user with the ID @bs***.

Some even criticized the trainee doctors taking off their doctor gowns on Monday as a “comedy show.”

The public's anger is not only aimed at the doctors on strike, but also medical students who recently announced they would boycott the state licensing exams scheduled for Sept.1.

A public petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website calling for a stern response to the boycott had gathered more than 239,000 signatures as of 2 p.m., Tuesday. The petitioner condemned the behavior of the soon-to-be doctors as reckless and selfish, urging the authorities not to give them a second chance to take the test.

Although the medical community promised that there would be no medical disruptions during their walkout, some have been reported at major hospitals in Seoul.

Yonsei Severance Hospital in Sinchon, western Seoul, was not able to accept severely ill patients at its emergency center due to a shortage of doctors, Monday. The same day, Samsung Seoul Hospital had to delay 10 operations and reschedule 40 more, Tuesday.

Seoul St. Mary's Hospital had reduced its COVID-19 test capacity for several days since Friday, but later on Tuesday announced it had been brought back to normal.

“We are trying to minimize the disruption in medical services by scheduling fewer operations than usual and delaying some outpatient treatment,” an official at Seoul National University Hospital told The Korea Times.