Damage from SNU Medical Professor Walkout Reported

Amid an indefinite walkout by professors of Seoul National University(SNU) hospitals starting on Monday, the government has received reports of damages caused by the collective action.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday, a total of 45 reports were made as of Monday, of which eight were related to SNU-affiliated hospitals.

Of the 45 calls, six were reports of actual damages, with four of those linked to SNU-affiliated hospitals, as two reported ‘treatment disruptions’ and two reported ‘refusal of treatment.’

The ministry added that outpatient treatment at three SNU-affiliated hospitals — SNU Hospital, SNU Bundang Hospital, and Boramae Hospital — decreased by 33 percent.

With the Korean Medical Association(KMA), a major lobby group for doctors, launching its one-day walkout on Tuesday along with the ‘Big 5’ major hospitals in Seoul, the number of surgeries performed on the day at Asan Medical Center in Seoul fell by more than half compared to a week ago.