Legal protection granted for South Korean nurses to conduct certain medical procedures
South Korea doctors' strike
The South Korean health ministry announced on Tuesday (Feb 27) that nurses are now granted legal protection to perform certain medical procedures typically handled by doctors.
This decision aims to alleviate the strain on hospital staff caused by a recent walkout of trainee doctors.
Following the trainee doctors' protest last week against the government's plan to increase medical school admissions to address a shortage of doctors, nurses expressed concerns about the legal risks and increased workload they now face.
With more than two-thirds of the country's resident and intern doctors resigning from their posts, major hospitals experienced disruptions, including turned-away patients in emergency rooms and cancelled or postponed surgeries and procedures.
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In response to the situation, the government is expediting efforts to legislate legal protection for doctors, allowing patients to promptly receive compensation for injuries during medical procedures. This measure aims to enable doctors to focus on their work amid the ongoing healthcare crisis.
South Korea raised its public health alert to the highest level on February 23, declaring a health services crisis attributed to the mass resignation of thousands of doctors protesting proposed medical reforms.
The doctors argue that the government should address existing issues before increasing the number of physicians.
WATCH |Why are South Korean trainee doctors on strike?
Park Min-soo, Seoul's Second Vice Health Minister, earlier revealed that 78.5 per cent of the trainee workforce, comprising over 8,890 junior doctors, has resigned in opposition to the government's plans to significantly boost medical school admissions.
Despite doctors being legally prohibited from striking as essential workers, the government deems the mass resignation illegal, asserting that illegal collective actions that threaten public health cannot be justified for any reason.
Also Read |South Korean trainee doctors stop work to protest medical reforms
This collective action has resulted in the cancellation or postponement of surgeries for cancer patients and C-sections for pregnant women, leading to urgent appeals from patients with severe illnesses for the doctors to resume their duties.
(With inputs from agencies)