Nurses Also Say "We Won't Cover This Time" in Anger... Patients Anxiously Await Amid 'Medical Crisis'

Resident Doctor Exodus Causes Hospital Chaos
"We Filled Gaps During Strikes Years Ago Too"
Police Pledge Swift Investigation and Strict Response

The departure of residents from their workplaces continued for the second day, leading to a full-scale medical vacuum. More than half of all residents have submitted their resignation letters, increasing anxiety among patients whose lives are at stake. As criticism toward the medical community grows, the government is also on high alert, struggling to devise countermeasures.

On the 20th, residents at one of Seoul's major hospitals among the Big 5 hospitals stopped working as of 6 a.m., and medical staff are seen moving around. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Second Day of Resident Departures... Patient Confusion and Inconvenience Worsen

On the morning of the 21st, the second day since residents collectively submitted their resignation letters, confusion and inconvenience among patients continued at hospital sites. Jeong Mo (64), whom we met at the Oncology Department of Seoul National University Hospital, lamented, "Residents used to handle things like prescription medications, but now specialists are doing it, so I heard we have to wait longer." Jeong added, "I cannot understand the very act of using patients as hostages for such actions."

Yu Mo (40), a guardian we met in the pediatric ward, also expressed concern, saying, "I worry about how long this situation will last," and added, "I am most worried about the child awaiting a transplant." A thyroid cancer patient scheduled for surgery on the 26th at Gangnam Severance Hospital said upon hearing the surgery was canceled, "To cancel even before cancer surgery, is this telling cancer patients to let their cancer grow?"

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has conducted on-site inspections at 10 locations including Severance Hospital and has issued work commencement orders to a total of 831 residents so far. After on-site inspections at 50 out of 100 major training hospitals, administrative actions such as 'license suspension' will be taken against residents who have not returned to work following the orders.

Rising Criticism... Nurses Burdened with Additional Work Also Frustrated

As patient harm and inconvenience cases increase in medical settings, criticism is also intensifying. The Public Transport Union Medical Solidarity Headquarters stated, "Submitting resignation letters collectively at the same time and stopping work is a clear group refusal of medical treatment," and pointed out, "The reality is that other hospital workers have to bear the burden of the doctors' work that has been passed on."

The Health and Medical Workers' Union urged, "The doctors' collective refusal of medical treatment, which is causing extreme harm and suffering to patients and their families, must be stopped immediately." The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice also criticized, saying, "Licensed professionals with business operator status can be punished for collusion if they engage in collective actions."

Complaints from nurses, whose workload has increased following the mass resignation of residents, are also growing. The Korean Association of Professional Nurses said, "PA (Physician Assistant) nurses and others have been standing by patients in place of doctors, and during the doctors' strike years ago, they managed legal and precarious tasks," adding, "They can no longer perform tasks not specified by law."

The Korean Nurses Association also warned, "As during the 2020 residents' strike, there will be no situation where nurses are deployed to perform medical acts as directed by the government to fill the gaps."

On the 20th, medical staff are moving at a large hospital in Seoul, where residents have submitted resignation letters at training hospitals nationwide, including the 'Big 5' hospitals, signaling the start of a wave of hospital departures. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Police Also Monitoring Closely... Plan for Swift Investigation and Strict Response

Regarding the residents' successive resignations and the doctors' collective action movements, the police have declared swift investigations and strict responses. Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, recently stated at a press briefing, "We are considering even stronger investigations against key figures leading the medical community's collective actions," and emphasized, "Considering the special nature of this case, we plan to send summons on the same day a complaint is filed, and if there is a refusal to appear, we will apply for arrest warrants and respond strictly." The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a meeting on the 21st to respond to the medical community's collective actions and plan to hold a joint briefing at 3 p.m.

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