Major Hospital Residents Gradually Return... "At Least 1-2 Weeks Until Normalization" (Comprehensive)

Samsung Seoul, Seoul National University, Seoul Asan, and Seoul St. Mary's Residents to Return to Medical Field on the 8th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] As residents who had continued an indefinite collective strike opposing the expansion of medical school quotas and the establishment of public medical schools began returning to work one after another on the morning of the 8th, expectations for normalization are growing. Each hospital is conducting COVID-19 tests on the residents and plans to deploy them to work as soon as they receive negative results.

◆ Residents "Sequential Return After COVID-19 Testing" = According to Samsung Medical Center on the 8th, after the residents decided to return to work yesterday, COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are currently being conducted on them. The residents plan to return to the clinical field only after receiving negative COVID-19 test results due to infection concerns. A Samsung Medical Center official said, "The first COVID-19 PCR test was conducted at 10:30 PM last night for the residents returning to work, and the second test is currently underway today," adding, "Since there are about 500 residents, it is difficult for all to return at once, so they will start working in the morning as soon as the test results come out."

At Asan Medical Center, residents began returning to the field from 7 AM on the 8th. The hospital’s residents’ emergency response committee held a delegate meeting the day before, conducted a vote among all residents, and decided to return to the hospital starting at 7 AM on the 8th. An Asan Medical Center official said, "Residents and fellows have all decided to return, and they are gradually returning to the medical field 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 the medical field 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 the morning."

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

◆ Hospitals "Normalization Will Take Time Due to Surgery Adjustments" = The medical industry expects that as residents at major hospitals in Seoul gradually return to work, the medical field will normalize, but it is anticipated that more time will be needed before full normalization as before the collective strike.

A Samsung Medical Center official said, "We adjusted about 30-40% of the surgery schedule yesterday and today," adding, "Since surgery schedules and others were continuously adjusted during the collective strike, it is expected to take at least 1 to 2 weeks to a month for medical normalization."

The continued collective action by medical students refusing to take the practical portion of the national medical licensing exam is also acting as a variable affecting the residents’ return to work. The Korean Intern Resident Association announced the day before, "If relief measures for medical students are not prepared within two weeks, we will escalate the level of struggle." A hospital official said, "I understand that residents had internal meetings about returning to work yesterday, during which many disagreements arose," adding, "There was strong opposition as residents who wanted to suspend the strike and interns who wanted to continue the strike clashed."

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