{"id":2205588,"date":"2024-06-26T18:47:16","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T09:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205588"},"modified":"2024-06-27T15:15:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T06:15:13","slug":"public-backs-south-koreas-medical-student-quota-hike-as-doctors-continue-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/06\/public-backs-south-koreas-medical-student-quota-hike-as-doctors-continue-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Public backs South Korea\u2019s medical student quota hike as doctors continue strike"},"content":{"rendered":"
The South Korean government\u2019s proposal to increase the medical school admissions quota by 60% in 2025 has sparked a fierce four-month standoff with the nation\u2019s doctors. Despite doctors\u2019 opposition, public sentiment favors the government\u2019s stance, driven by the long-standing issue of doctor shortages and the perception that medical professionals are prioritizing their livelihoods over patient care.<\/span><\/p>\n As the government holds the upper hand in this bitter dispute, recent developments suggest a potential for dialogue and resolution. However, the administration faces the challenge of not only implementing its reform plan but also managing the negative consequences that may arise from the proposed increase in medical student numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n GOVERNMENT DECREE<\/b><\/p>\n The Yoon administration <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> its plans in February to raise the annual quota of medical students by 2,000 in 2025 \u2014 a 60% increase. The government argued that this measure would address the chronic shortage of doctors in certain medical specialties, particularly in rural areas.<\/span><\/p>\n Recent years have seen numerous reports of patients traveling <\/span>hundreds of miles<\/span><\/a> for treatment, ambulances being <\/span>turned away<\/span><\/a> by hospitals and parents <\/span>waiting hours<\/span><\/a> for their children to receive pediatric care.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the nation\u2019s doctors fiercely <\/span>opposed<\/span><\/a> the proposal, contending that simply increasing the number of doctors without adequate planning would fail to resolve the shortages in specific specialties.<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, they countered that the government\u2019s plan would result in the concentration of medical services in Seoul and other metropolitan areas, potentially lowering medical care standards. The doctors also highlighted the lack of sufficient professors and facilities to adequately train the influx of new medical students.<\/span><\/p>\n Around 10,000 junior doctors resigned and have left their jobs in protest of the government\u2019s plan. This move quickly strained medical services, causing delays in treatments and surgeries and reports of <\/span>lives being lost<\/span><\/a> as a consequence.<\/span><\/p>\n