Opposition to Nursing Act 'Collective Action' Intensifies... Some Afternoon Medical Services Unavoidably Disrupted

Announcement of Partial Medical Services at Primary Care Institutions Today Due to Nurses and Nursing Assistants' Annual Leave Strike

On the afternoon of the 3rd, the 'Health and Welfare Medical Solidarity' (Medical Solidarity), a coalition of 13 health and medical professional organizations opposing the enactment of the Nursing Act, will launch simultaneous leave strikes across various cities and provinces nationwide. This collective action is the first since the Nursing Act was passed in the National Assembly plenary session on the 27th of last month, and is interpreted as a prelude to a full-scale strike. Accordingly, some primary care clinics at the physician level are expected to experience disruptions in medical services during the afternoon hours.

On the morning of the 2nd, participants are shouting slogans at the announcement of the struggle roadmap by the Health and Welfare Medical Solidarity, consisting of 13 organizations, to block the Nursing Act in front of the Korea Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Medical Solidarity will hold a 'Rally Condemning the Democratic Party for Forcibly Passing the Nursing Act and License Revocation Act' in 12 regions nationwide, including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Daegu. The start times vary slightly by region but will begin between 1 PM and 7 PM. In Seoul, the rally will take place at 5:30 PM in front of Yeouido National Assembly Station. This condemnation rally is organized mainly by the Korea Association of Nursing Assistants, with participation or cooperation from various professions including doctors, radiologists, emergency medical technicians, clinical pathologists, health information managers, and care workers.

Medical Solidarity stated that the leave strike was scheduled for late afternoon to minimize confusion among patients. However, it is also anticipated that medical service disruptions equivalent to a partial strike will occur. In particular, with approximately 10,000 nursing assistants expected to participate in this leave strike, some primary care clinics will inevitably shorten their operating hours in the afternoon. The Korea Medical Association is encouraging participation by actively cooperating when each professional group submits leave requests to their affiliated medical institutions and by implementing shortened medical hours at the institutional level. Park Myung-ha, chairman of the KMA Emergency Response Committee, said, "We do not induce medical institutions to shorten their hours, but depending on the judgment of each representative director, it may inevitably happen. Some medical institutions may leave only one essential staff member, or the director alone may handle reception, treatment, and payment. It will proceed diversely depending on the autonomy of the medical institutions." He added, "This collective action can be considered the first stage of a strike, but we scheduled the time for late afternoon as much as possible to minimize inconvenience to patients and the public."

Medical Solidarity plans to conduct a second leave strike and shortened medical hours on the 11th, and if there is no reconsideration of the Nursing Act or exercise of President Yoon Seok-yeol's veto power, they intend to launch a '4 million solidarity general strike' on the 17th. Chairman Park stated, "We do not want to cause inconvenience and concern to the public due to medical service gaps, so we will carefully consider and adjust the methods and intensity of the struggle."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, the competent authority, has strongly requested Medical Solidarity to refrain from suspending medical services and has taken measures to minimize medical service gaps. The ministry held an emergency situation inspection meeting to review the operation plan for emergency medical institutions and considered establishing an emergency patient response system, as well as providing medical services at local medical centers, public health centers, and health sub-centers. Park Min-soo, the ministry’s second vice minister, said, "We ask all healthcare professionals to protect the medical field for the health and safety of the public. Local governments should thoroughly manage medical institutions within their jurisdiction to minimize medical service gaps or harm to the public caused by service suspensions, and hospitals and clinics at the regional level should cooperate to ensure that general patient care and emergency room operations are not disrupted."

Conversely, the nursing community expressed regret toward the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s passive stance on the enactment of the Nursing Act and criticized the Medical Solidarity coalition for their collective action. The Korean Nurses Association stated, "The cause of the medical crisis is not the Nursing Act but the organizations such as the Korea Medical Association and the Korea Association of Nursing Assistants that threaten the public by calling for a general strike and illegally refusing medical services, and persistently spreading fake news about the Nursing Act. We clearly hold them responsible." They emphasized, "The 500,000 nurse members of the Nurses Association will, as healthcare professionals, steadfastly defend the medical field under any circumstances to protect the health of the public." The association also announced that as of the previous day, over 583,000 people had participated in the nationwide signature campaign for the enactment of the Nursing Act currently underway.

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