"Body Worn Down... Emergency Medicine Professor's Plea Before Resignation"

"Put them in jail or wash your hands of it
Stop dragging it out and resolve it"

As resident doctors continue to submit collective resignation letters in protest against the government's policy to increase medical school quotas, an emergency medicine professor at a university hospital has drawn attention by urging the government to make a swift decision.

Professor Jo Yong-su of Chonnam National University’s Department of Emergency Medicine appealed on his Facebook on the 27th, saying, "President Yoon Seok-yeol! Please put an end to this situation."

He expressed, "Either lock them all up in jail or just wash your hands and let them do as they please. Either way is fine, but can’t you just boldly take action like you usually do? They say a barking dog doesn’t bite and an empty cart makes the most noise, but I don’t understand why this is dragging on so long."

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

Professor Jo said that the workload has increased as resident doctors have left the medical field without permission, adding, "How long do I have to live like this? Isn’t it a crime to have majored in emergency medicine and gotten a job at a university hospital?"

He continued, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, whenever something happens in the country, my body is the one that gets worn down. Now that I’m older, it really feels like my whole body is melting away," and added, "There are those who fight and those who benefit. When it’s all over, no one acknowledges the hardships endured."

Professor Jo said, "To the public, I am just one of those doctors who only care about money, and to my colleagues, I am merely a collaborator who hinders unity. In reality, I am just an ordinary doctor who cannot bear to leave the side of sick patients," and added, "Whether it’s a gun or a pen, please hand it to me quickly. I am about to die in the line of duty, not resign."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 6th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held at the Blue House's Yeongbingwan on the 27th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of the previous day, about 80% of resident doctors affiliated with 99 major training hospitals nationwide have submitted resignation letters. However, some residents have reportedly returned to the medical field. The number of residents who have left their workplaces as of the previous day is approximately 8,939, accounting for about 72.7% of the total.

Following the doctors’ collective action, new patient admissions at tertiary hospitals decreased by 24%, and surgeries dropped by about 50% based on data from 15 tertiary hospitals.

On the 27th, President Yoon Seok-yeol stated at the 6th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting held at the Blue House State Guest House, "Threats to the lives and safety of the people are difficult to justify under any pretext," addressing the resident doctors. "It is very regrettable that doctors are engaging in collective action and causing confusion in the medical field."

Regarding the increase of 2,000 medical school quotas, he emphasized, "It is the minimum essential measure to fulfill the constitutional duty of the state," and reiterated, "Even if we increase medical school quotas now, doctors will only start to increase after 10 years. How long do you expect us to delay? The current government is pushing medical reform with the urgency that this is the last chance to save the people and regions."

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