'Delaying Surgeries and Not Accepting Emergency Patients'... Disruptions Across Hospitals on Second Day of General Strike

The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU) continued its two-day general strike on the 14th, causing ongoing confusion across medical sites nationwide. While essential medical services directly related to life, such as emergency rooms, operating rooms, and intensive care units, have not experienced major disruptions, delays in appointments, outpatient care, and hospital admissions persist. Concerns are rising that if the strike prolongs due to the 'strong versus strong' standoff between the union and the government, medical service gaps will worsen.

On the 13th, union members belonging to the Health and Medical Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally on Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, demanding an increase in medical personnel and improvement of working conditions, and resolved to win the July sector-wide general strike. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Strike Continues for Second Day... Disruptions in Medical Care and Surgeries

The KHMU is maintaining the general strike with about 45,000 participants across 140 workplaces in 122 branches on this day as well. General strike rallies are also held in four key regions: Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Sejong. Among the medical institutions participating in this general strike are 20 tertiary hospitals, including private university hospitals such as Kyung Hee University Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University Guro Hospital, Ewha Mokdong Hospital, Hanyang University Hospital, Ajou University Hospital, and Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital (Pyeongchon), as well as national university hospitals like Pusan National University Hospital, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, and Jeonbuk National University Hospital.

Since the union decided to maintain essential medical personnel, there have been no major disruptions in emergency rooms, operating rooms, or intensive care units. However, some medical institutions, citing staff shortages, either transferred all admitted patients or refused emergency patients. Korea University Guro Hospital announced that emergency care in 10 fields, including aortic disease and obstetrics and gynecology, was unavailable. Korea University Anam Hospital proceeded with scheduled emergency surgeries but reportedly postponed non-urgent surgeries in some departments. Pusan National University Hospital and Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital postponed all surgeries scheduled for the 13th and 14th and discharged or transferred admitted patients ahead of the strike. Chungnam National University Hospital and Jeonbuk National University Hospital informed that they had to close or reduce wards and outpatient services to ensure patient safety.

Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyuhong is giving a briefing on the results of the health and medical issues review meeting held at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Government and Union in 'Strong vs. Strong' Standoff... Concerns Over Prolonged Strike

The positions of the government and the union remain at an impasse. The union demands the expansion of integrated nursing care services, an increase in medical personnel, and expanded support for recovery-phase COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. In particular, the union blames the government for the strike, stating, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare is passively watching the manpower crisis in medical sites and the collapse risk of essential and public medical services, delaying the implementation schedule of various policy improvements such as promised support for recovery-phase COVID-19 hospitals and comprehensive nursing staff support measures, offering no solutions and only buying time."

Conversely, the government criticizes the union's general strike as a 'political strike.' The Ministry of Health and Welfare has raised the health and medical disaster crisis alert from 'interest' to 'caution' and expanded the existing 'Medical Institution Strike Situation Monitoring Team' to the 'Central Emergency Medical Response Headquarters' to inspect essential maintenance tasks in each region. The government has also indicated a tough stance, considering orders to return to work if necessary. Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong stated, "If the strike goes beyond legitimate dispute actions and causes significant harm to the lives and health of the public, we will respond firmly according to law and principles." Moreover, the government emphasized that negotiations with the union are with individual medical institutions, not the government itself, leaving no clear exit from the strike. The union plans to enter an indefinite general strike starting on the 17th after the two-day strike, raising concerns about a prolonged crisis.

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