Major Hospital Residents Gradually Return... "COVID-19 Testing Underway"

All Residents Return to Samsung Seoul, Seoul National University, Seoul Asan, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospitals

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Residents who had continued an indefinite collective strike opposing the expansion of medical school quotas and the establishment of public medical schools are gradually returning to work on the morning of the 8th. Each hospital is conducting COVID-19 tests on the residents and plans to start work as soon as they receive negative results.

According to Samsung Medical Center on the 8th, after the residents decided to return to work the previous day, COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are currently being conducted on them. Due to concerns about infection, the plan is to return to clinical duties only after receiving a negative COVID-19 test result. A Samsung Medical Center official stated, "The first COVID-19 PCR test was conducted at 10:30 PM last night for residents returning to work, and the second test is underway today. Since there are about 500 residents, it is difficult for all to return at once, so they will start work as soon as the test results come out."

At Asan Medical Center, residents began returning to the field starting at 7 AM on the 8th. The day before, the Residents Emergency Response Committee at Asan Medical Center held a delegates' meeting to conduct a vote among all residents and decided to return to the hospital from 7 AM on the 8th. An Asan Medical Center official said, "Residents and fellows have all decided to return, and they are gradually starting work from this morning."

At Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, all residents also decided to return to work and began returning to medical sites from the morning of the 8th. A Seoul St. Mary's Hospital official said, "As the residents expressed their intention to return to work, COVID-19 tests were conducted on them, and they have been deployed to work since this morning."

A representative from a major hospital in Seoul said, "Although the residents announced they would return to work at 7 AM today, COVID-19 tests must be conducted due to infection concerns, so they are returning sequentially. After handover of duties during the morning, they are expected to fill their positions."

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