SEOUL, July 8 (AJU PRESS) - The government is set to come up with new measures for trainee doctors who continue their strike against the government's radical medical reform plans, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday.
Health Minister Cho Kyu-hong is expected to announce the government's final decision regarding trainee doctors and how to handle their resignations.
In an attempt to resolve the prolonged strike, the ministry lifted all administrative restrictions on resident doctors and hospitals last month, hoping to encourage them to return to their jobs and fill the medical service vacuum.
Despite these efforts, as of last week, only a small fraction or eight percent of the 13,756 trainee doctors had either remained at their jobs or returned to work.
Since last year, the government has pushed to increase admission quotas at medical schools to improve services and prepare for rising demand as the population ages.
Resident doctors at university hospitals began their strike in February through mass resignations, claiming the move would lower the quality of medical education and fail to address staffing shortages.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
