Thousands of South Korean trainee doctors who staged a mass walkout over healthcare reforms have refused to return to work, in defiance of a government deadline to end the strike or face legal action.
It has been reported that on the day of the deadline –most of the young doctors protesting against the government’s push to boost medical school enrollments “showed little sign” of returning to their hospitals on Thursday.
Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo told a news briefing that as of Wednesday night, only 294 of the more than 9,000 trainee doctors who have left their posts were back at work, noting that he had contacted doctors involved in the strike seeking talks and hoped to meet them later Thursday, adding he was unsure “how many people will attend”
“We’ve said that we won’t hold them responsible for leaving their worksites if they return by today,” he said. “Doctors are there to serve patients, and those patients are anxiously waiting for you. This isn’t the way to protest against the government.”
The Korean Medical Association (KMA), which has slammed the government’s “intimidation tactics” has not commented on possible talks. But a social media account run by young doctors shared a screenshot of a text message from the government and said: “You must be joking.”
Opeoluwa Michael-Ayobami
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