What About the Patients?... 83.7% of Professors at Chonnam National University Medical School Submit Resignation Letters

"Government Urged to Withdraw 2,000 Staff Increase and Create a Negotiation Platform"

Professors at Chonnam National University College of Medicine are joining the 'collective action in the medical community' by submitting resignation letters. The professors urged, "The government should withdraw the unfounded increase of 2,000 medical students and create a negotiation platform with a sincere attitude."

According to the Emergency Response Committee of Chonnam National University College of Medicine on the 24th, a survey conducted among the faculty members showed that 83.7% supported voluntarily submitting resignation letters. Out of 273 professors, 257 (94.1%) participated in the survey.

Chonnam National University Hospital [Photo by Yonhap News]

Among the 215 professors who supported submitting resignation letters, 138 (64.2%) decided to act in unison on the 25th, the day the National Association of Medical School Professors (Jeonui Gyohyeop) plans to submit collective resignations. The remaining 77 suggested submitting resignation letters at a time when medical students and residents would not suffer harm.

They also revealed that over 80% agreed to reduce hospital working hours to the legal limit of 52 hours per week. Until their resignations are accepted, they will work within the legal 52-hour workweek.

In a statement that day, they said, "Seeing the empty medical school classrooms and the darkened hospitals and medical offices continuing for a month, we cannot suppress the deep self-reproach and despair as professors of Chonnam National University College of Medicine," adding, "If administrative oppression against our beloved medical students and residents at Chonnam National University College of Medicine becomes a reality due to biased and misguided desk-bound policies, we will never tolerate it."

Will Medical School Professors' Resignations and Residents' License Suspensions Become a Reality?
[Photo by Yonhap News]

They continued, "The rushed increase in medical school admissions and forced assignments under the guise of medical reform are by no means policy alternatives that can resolve the essential medical expansion and the crisis of local medical collapse," adding, "The oppressive government, ignoring a uniform medical environment where textbook-level care is impossible and disregarding reasonable compensation and legal protection for essential medical personnel directly linked to patients' lives, is merely deceiving the public with the political spell of increasing 2,000 students."

They also stated, "We have been tirelessly standing by patients on the front lines of severe emergency diseases and essential medical care in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region, filling in for absent residents day and night," and emphasized, "We will continue to do our best to protect patients' precious lives and health, but our bodies and minds are greatly exhausted. We strongly urge the government to withdraw irrational administrative sanctions and promptly create a dialogue platform for serious negotiations."

Professors at Chosun University College of Medicine, who formed an emergency committee earlier than Chonnam National University, also decided to pursue voluntary resignation submissions after conducting a survey. It is known that 78% supported submitting resignation letters voluntarily, and 62% agreed to reduce working hours to comply with the 52-hour workweek while shortening clinical hours.

Meanwhile, according to the National Emergency Response Committee of Medical School Professors, on the 25th, professors from 40 medical schools nationwide will participate in voluntary resignation submissions. Unlike residents, most medical school professors are university faculty with tenure, so the government cannot issue orders to maintain medical services upon acceptance of their resignations.

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