21-02-2024, 06:59 PM
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Almost 9,000 S Korean doctors on strike. Why?
21-02-2024, 09:50 PM
(21-02-2024, 06:59 PM)Levin Wrote: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/sou...ed-4138261
S Korean workers loves to go on strikes. Their union are very powerful. Labour strikes were rampant during Presidents' Chun, Roh and two Kim's era. Looks like labour unrest are resurfacing again.
22-02-2024, 12:35 PM
By Ju-min Park and Jack Kim
February 22, 20247:47 AM GMT+8Updated 5 hours ago
SEOUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Almost 8,000 trainee doctors have walked off the job in South Korea to protest a government plan to admit more students to medical schools, and more are expected to join them.
Trainee doctors say the government needs to address pay and working conditions first before boosting the number of physicians, while authorities say more staff are needed to increase healthcare services in remote areas and meet the growing demands of one of the world's most rapidly ageing societies.
WHY ARE TRAINEE DOCTORS TAKING SUCH RADICAL ACTION?
Medical interns and resident doctors say they are underpaid and overworked and that their protest shows the system is broken because their absence results in surgical procedures being cancelled and emergency rooms turning back patients.
Industrial action by trainee doctors has been effective in the past, largely because they make up at least 40% of the staff at some major hospitals in Seoul.
Trainees usually work 80 to 100 hours, five days a week, or up to 20 hours a day, conditions they say need to be addressed by hiring more senior staff, and not increasing the number of trainees.
Jeong Hyung-jun, a medical doctor and policy director of public health advocacy group the Korean Federation of Medical Activist Groups, says younger doctors are also worried about increasing the number of medical students because it will mean more competition in an already cut-throat sector.
WHAT IS IN THE GOVERNMENT PLAN?
The plan, announced in February, will increase the number of students admitted to medical schools by 2,000 starting in the 2025 academic year to bring the total to 5,000 from 3,000 now.
The health ministry says the increase is intended to fill an expected shortfall of 15,000 doctors projected by 2035
......
WHAT IS THE DOCTOR-TO-PATIENT RATIO?
With 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, South Korea's doctor-to-patient ratio is ranked one of the lowest among developed countries
......
WHY DO DOCTORS OPPOSE THE PLAN?
The medical community says there are already sufficient doctors, and cites the availability of healthcare to most people as an example of why the number of doctors is not the issue.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacif...024-02-21/
February 22, 20247:47 AM GMT+8Updated 5 hours ago
SEOUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Almost 8,000 trainee doctors have walked off the job in South Korea to protest a government plan to admit more students to medical schools, and more are expected to join them.
Trainee doctors say the government needs to address pay and working conditions first before boosting the number of physicians, while authorities say more staff are needed to increase healthcare services in remote areas and meet the growing demands of one of the world's most rapidly ageing societies.
WHY ARE TRAINEE DOCTORS TAKING SUCH RADICAL ACTION?
Medical interns and resident doctors say they are underpaid and overworked and that their protest shows the system is broken because their absence results in surgical procedures being cancelled and emergency rooms turning back patients.
Industrial action by trainee doctors has been effective in the past, largely because they make up at least 40% of the staff at some major hospitals in Seoul.
Trainees usually work 80 to 100 hours, five days a week, or up to 20 hours a day, conditions they say need to be addressed by hiring more senior staff, and not increasing the number of trainees.
Jeong Hyung-jun, a medical doctor and policy director of public health advocacy group the Korean Federation of Medical Activist Groups, says younger doctors are also worried about increasing the number of medical students because it will mean more competition in an already cut-throat sector.
WHAT IS IN THE GOVERNMENT PLAN?
The plan, announced in February, will increase the number of students admitted to medical schools by 2,000 starting in the 2025 academic year to bring the total to 5,000 from 3,000 now.
The health ministry says the increase is intended to fill an expected shortfall of 15,000 doctors projected by 2035
......
WHAT IS THE DOCTOR-TO-PATIENT RATIO?
With 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, South Korea's doctor-to-patient ratio is ranked one of the lowest among developed countries
......
WHY DO DOCTORS OPPOSE THE PLAN?
The medical community says there are already sufficient doctors, and cites the availability of healthcare to most people as an example of why the number of doctors is not the issue.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacif...024-02-21/
22-02-2024, 12:48 PM
They didn't know that the job is very demanding and pays not good when they opted for medical school? Now they are protesting the govrt is taking in more medical students, very selfish right
22-02-2024, 12:51 PM
(22-02-2024, 12:48 PM)WhatDoYouThink! Wrote: They didn't know that the job is very demanding and pays not good when they opted for medical school? Now they are protesting the govrt is taking in more medical students, very selfish right
Dont think it is so simple.
Nobody will risk their career/profession to go for strike.
事出反常必有妖。
孤掌难鸣。
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"
22-02-2024, 03:48 PM
(22-02-2024, 12:51 PM)RiseofAsia Wrote: Dont think it is so simple.
Nobody will risk their career/profession to go for strike.
事出反常必有妖。
孤掌难鸣。
S. Korea is different. Their Labour Union Movement are very strong. Every day they can have strikes. Such strikes will stall the economy. In the 80s - 90s plus strikes by different union and students are very frequent. They take turn to go on strikes.
22-02-2024, 03:49 PM
Give them our free expiring mRNA vaccine ai mai? 
Highly recommended by mRNA pro-vaxxers with no regrets....
Highly recommended by mRNA pro-vaxxers with no regrets....
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth” – Buddha.
[Image: https://i.ibb.co/0hWSqby/wednesday-quote.jpg]
22-02-2024, 03:59 PM
Will the SK gov accuse those striking doctors for being "Communist" and agents of NK ? 
You've got friendly neighbours? Grow Up! - 李光耀 2013
22-02-2024, 04:24 PM
I don't think it's a simple issue of them being selfish and just want more money or being stupid got chance to lower workload don't take.
From what I understand, many Korean students study crazy hours like 16 - 18 hours per day everyday for years in order to get into a good school and secure their future in the small pool of available organizations within the country.
I would imagine students who eventually made it into medical school must have put in at least such hours if not more to get to where they are, so obviously these folks are not going to take it lying down when the government opens the flood gates and eventually damage their wages and job security.
Imagine you queue up for 18 hours and spend an exorbitant amount to get a limited edition collectible only for the company to announce that due to strong demand, they are going to massively increase the supply so that many people can get it as well. Now take that pissed off-ness and multiply that by 365 days x 16 years.
It's a sad society that brings out the worst in people.
From what I understand, many Korean students study crazy hours like 16 - 18 hours per day everyday for years in order to get into a good school and secure their future in the small pool of available organizations within the country.
I would imagine students who eventually made it into medical school must have put in at least such hours if not more to get to where they are, so obviously these folks are not going to take it lying down when the government opens the flood gates and eventually damage their wages and job security.
Imagine you queue up for 18 hours and spend an exorbitant amount to get a limited edition collectible only for the company to announce that due to strong demand, they are going to massively increase the supply so that many people can get it as well. Now take that pissed off-ness and multiply that by 365 days x 16 years.
It's a sad society that brings out the worst in people.
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