[Exclusive] Seoul National University Hospital Closed from the 17th... "Existing Inpatients Will Not Be Discharged"

Professors at Seoul National University College of Medicine have decided to begin a complete strike starting from the 17th, but patients currently hospitalized at the four hospitals affiliated with Seoul National University College of Medicine will not be discharged and will continue to receive treatment. Additionally, after the strike ends, they are considering increasing outpatient services to accommodate the backlog of patients.

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The Emergency Response Committee (ERC) of Seoul National University College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital stated this in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 7th. Oh Seung-won, a professor at Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Center and the ERC's public relations officer, said, "We do not want patients to suffer too much due to the complete strike, so we are considering various supplementary measures," adding, "For patients with appointments after the 17th, we will increase the number of outpatient visits after the strike ends to ensure they can receive treatment as soon as possible." The ERC has decided to continue the indefinite strike until the government accepts demands such as the complete cancellation of administrative sanctions against residents.

The ERC conducted a survey targeting all professors at four hospitals: Seoul National University Hospital, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Metropolitan Boramae Hospital, and Seoul National University Gangnam Center. Based on the results, they resolved to implement a complete strike from the 17th, excluding essential departments such as emergency rooms and intensive care units. Starting from that day, all outpatient services and surgeries will be suspended except for vital areas such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, maternity wards, and kidney dialysis. However, the ERC stated that patients currently hospitalized will not be discharged prematurely after the strike begins on the 17th and will continue to receive treatment until fully recovered.

Seoul National University Hospital has 1,803 beds and, even after the medical crisis, sees about 8,000 outpatients daily. Last year, it performed 40,370 surgeries (an average of 110 per day). Bundang Seoul National University Hospital has 1,335 beds and approximately 6,000 outpatients daily, while Seoul Metropolitan Boramae Hospital has 745 beds and about 3,500 outpatients. Excluding the Gangnam Center, which only handles health checkups and simple outpatient care, the combined total of the three hospitals is 3,883 beds and about 18,000 outpatients daily.

The complete strike by professors is expected to exacerbate the already severe financial difficulties faced by the hospitals. A representative from Seoul National University Hospital said, "We need to observe the actual scale of the professors' strike to calculate the specific financial damage," adding, "Depending on the scale and duration of the strike, we will prepare measures to manage the workforce of non-physician staff such as nurses, medical technicians, and administrative personnel."

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