Medical Professor Resignation D-3... Patient Group's Desperate Plea: "Please Stay by Patients' Side"

Effective from the 25th: Medical School Professors' Resignation Takes Effect
"Concern Over Patients with Intractable Diseases Losing Will to Fight"

With the deadline for the effectiveness of medical school professors' resignation letters approaching in 4 days, patient organizations have appealed to the professors to remain on site. The Korea Patient Organization Federation stated in a statement on the 22nd, "It is expected that the resignations of medical school professors nationwide will take effect from April 25," adding, "We are deeply concerned that this situation may undermine the fighting spirit of patients with severe and rare incurable diseases who have been struggling to adapt and receive treatment amid a prolonged two-month medical service gap."

On the 22nd, medical staff were moving at a large hospital in Seoul where some former residents, who had left the hospital along with residents in protest against the increase in medical school admissions, returned.
[Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@]

Since the 25th of last month, 3,000 to 4,000 professors from 40 medical schools nationwide have submitted their resignation letters. According to current civil law, full-time medical school professors' resignations become effective one month after submission regardless of whether the university president accepts the resignation, so it is expected that the resignations of medical school professors nationwide will take effect from the 25th.

The patient organizations expressed, "First, we extend deep gratitude and trust to the professors who have stayed by patients' sides despite the difficult circumstances," and requested, "Above all, the prompt resolution of the current situation is crucial, so please remain by the patients' side to prevent any harm caused by the effectiveness of the resignations starting from the 25th."

They continued, "Please remain in the medical field after the 25th to ensure that essential critical care services directly related to life, such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, operating rooms, and delivery rooms, can operate stably," and urged, "We hope you stay on site and work together with patients to find ways to resolve this situation." The patient organizations also expressed concern over news that the Emergency Response Committee of Medical School Professors Nationwide (Jeon-ui-bi) discussed limiting new patient care at their general meeting on the 19th.

Amid ongoing conflicts between the medical community and the government over the medical school quota, a patient is resting at a large hospital in Seoul on the 21st.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Furthermore, the patient organizations emphasized, "Jeon-ui-bi's decision to readjust medical care essentially means reducing new patient treatment," adding, "We believe this was an unavoidable decision due to excessive workload, but honestly, we cannot hide our concerns as patients who suddenly develop illnesses and require treatment and hospitalization continue to emerge even at this moment."

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