Seoul. The government of South Korea has warned that thousands of protesting junior doctors will be arrested and their medical licenses canceled if they do not return to work by Thursday. As three quarters of junior doctors went on strike, the health system of the country has become chaotic and surgeries have also been stopped in the main teaching hospitals.
They protested after the government proposed a plan to enroll more students in universities to increase the number of doctors in the country. Among developed countries in the world, South Korea has the lowest doctor-patient ratio. On top of that, the government has been warning that there may be a shortage of doctors within a decade with the growth of the adult population in the country.
Although most of the healthcare in South Korea is privatized, it is relatively cheap. The prices for emergency, complex surgeries and specialist services are very low. While the price of cosmetic surgery is very high. This has attracted doctors to work in attractive locations in big cities.
This is the reason why there is a shortage of doctors in rural areas. Although doctors in South Korea are given good salary facilities, they argue that when compared to working hours, they earn less than minimum wage.
Agency