'COVID-19 Regional Hub Hospital' Daegu Dongsan Hospital Contract Workers Mass Layoff Controversy (Comprehensive)

Sent Contract Expiration Texts to Over 50 Temporary Workers
Hospital Decides Layoffs Citing Financial Difficulties
Justice Party Daegu Election Committee "Opposes Dongsan Hospital Temporary Worker Layoffs"
Medical Privatization Prevention Movement Headquarters Issues Critical Statement

On the morning of the 13th of last month, medical staff who finished their shift at Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital, a regional base hospital for COVID-19 in Daegu, are heading to the break room. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Daegu Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, a regional base hospital for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), has recently sparked controversy as it reportedly laid off dozens of contract workers citing financial difficulties.

Contract workers claim they were notified by the hospital of their dismissal due to financial hardship, while the hospital explained that it informed them of contract expiration following proper procedures.

According to Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital on the 1st, the hospital sent text messages notifying over 50 contract workers of their contract expiration starting early last month.

The contract expiration affected about 50 contract workers, including around 10 clinical pathologists, about 20 nursing assistants, and 21 cooks.

The hospital is said to have decided on layoffs due to worsening financial conditions. Facing criticism, the hospital denied the claims, expressing their grievance by stating "this is not true."

A hospital official told Yonhap News Agency, "After the COVID-19 outbreak, most contract workers applied for leave citing fear," and explained, "In fact, 21 contract workers working as cooks applied for leave after the COVID-19 outbreak."

He added, "Even though contract workers did not work after the COVID-19 outbreak, we paid them 70% of their salary every month. The messages sent to contract workers were to notify them of contract expiration one month in advance as required by labor law. The claim that contract workers were dismissed due to financial difficulties is not true."

As the controversy intensified, political circles and civic groups united in criticism. On the 1st, the Justice Party Daegu City Party Election Countermeasures Committee held a press conference in front of Daegu Dongsan Hospital in Jung-gu, Daegu, criticizing, "They are trying to resolve the risk burden caused by the COVID disaster by terminating non-regular contract workers."

On the 27th of last month, medical staff at Daegu Dongsan Hospital of Keimyung University in Jung-gu, Daegu, are starting their shift in the ward with patients infected with the novel coronavirus./Photo by Yonhap News

The Justice Party Daegu Election Committee stated, "Although the number of confirmed cases in Daegu is decreasing, cluster infections in nursing hospitals continue, so the situation is not over yet. We are concerned about and oppose the dismissal of contract workers at Daegu Dongsan Hospital, a regional base hospital for COVID-19."

They continued, "The hospital recently notified about 50 contract workers of dismissal citing worsening financial conditions," emphasizing, "It must be clear that there is no distinction between regular and non-regular workers in overcoming the disaster."

They added, "Under the pretext of economic recovery, many workers are inevitably driven to mass layoffs," and "Preventing layoffs at Dongsan Hospital is not just about stopping these dismissals but about saving all workers in the Republic of Korea."

The Justice Party Central Election Countermeasures Committee also held a briefing at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido that afternoon, stating, "The dismissal of healthcare workers means the frontline to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is collapsing," and urged, "Daegu Dongsan Hospital must immediately withdraw the layoffs, and (the government and Daegu city) should take action to preserve jobs, including compensating for Dongsan Hospital's losses instead of issuing dismissal notices."

The Medical Privatization Prevention and Universal Healthcare Realization Movement Headquarters, composed of about 40 civic health organizations including the Council of Doctors for Humanitarian Medicine and People's Solidarity, issued a statement the same day, saying, "Mass layoffs of medical personnel at Daegu Dongsan Hospital is giving up on overcoming COVID-19," and pointed out, "Now is a time when more medical personnel are needed to support healthcare workers exhausted from the battle against COVID-19."

They added, "Mass layoffs citing financial difficulties clearly show that private hospitals prioritize profit over life and health," and urged, "The government must now establish and announce a clear plan to expand public hospital beds and medical personnel."

Meanwhile, Cho Seung-guk, Public Relations Director of the Korean Medical Association, criticized the Dongsan Hospital layoff situation on his Facebook, saying, "Even though the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is less than 10,000, it seems more attention is paid to the votes of the remaining 49.99 million people than treatment," and questioned, "Is it the hospital's responsibility to keep running deficits without government support?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.