Gov’t Not to Take Punitive Steps against Trainee Doctors amid Collective Action

The government says it will not take punitive measures, including license suspensions, against trainee doctors who have walked off their jobs in protest of the medical school admissions quota hike.

At a press briefing on Monday, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said the decision was reached earlier in the day not to take any administrative steps against the trainee doctors, regardless of whether or not they return to work.

Cho said trainee doctors who have returned and those who have resigned seeking retraining in the fall will be eligible for special consideration in order to minimize delays in acquiring licenses.

The minister said the latest decision was made as part of the government’s efforts to minimize the vacuum in medical services for critical and emergency patients and maintain continuity of the medical training system to foster trainee doctors.

He then urged training hospitals to process all resignations tendered by trainee doctors who do not return by July 15 to prevent disruptions in the recruitment of trainee doctors for the second half of the year starting July 22.