South Korea will send its military and community doctors to hospitals in the next few days as part of emergency measures to support the healthcare system following the mass strike by specialists, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo reported, cited by Reuters.

He also urged junior doctors to return to work by tomorrow, which is the deadline set by the government and promised that the authorities would listen to their demands.

At a meeting with the government, he said, “The government fully understands that the specialists have serious concerns about their working environment and future career, and we are seeking measures to improve this from multiple perspectives”.

The junior doctors are striking in protest against the government’s plan to increase the number of students in medical schools due to, as the authorities say, the shortage of doctors.

However, according to the protesters, the government should first address salaries and working conditions before increasing the number of medical professionals. In the meantime, authorities have warned that they may revoke the licenses of doctors who do not comply with the order to return to work.

Han stated that starting next month, military doctors will be assigned to hospitals affected by the strike.

Approximately 9,000 specialists joined the protest, disrupting services in major hospitals, which were forced to discharge patients and cancel surgeries and other procedures.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!