South Korea woman allegedly suffers miscarriage after refused surgery due to doctor strike

[Huat Zai]

 

A woman in South Korea allegedly suffered a miscarriage after she was refused surgery at a university hospital due to the mass walkout of junior doctors, Korea's broadcasting company SBS reported.

The alleged incident in February 2024, occurred as trainee doctors left their posts to protest a government proposal to increase the annual admission quota at medical schools by 2,000 from the current 3,058 starting in 2025.

On Mar. 21, the Health Ministry said it would begin suspending the medical licenses of trainee doctors who went against a return-to-work order starting from next week, Yonhap reported.

 

Miscarried

 

The woman who allegedly miscarried reportedly had issues with her birth canal as she was about to give birth.

She attempted to go to a university hospital in Seoul to have a surgery but was rejected as the hospital did not have the capacity for surgery.

The woman tried to look for another hospital but unfortunately miscarried in the process.

The woman reported the incident, stressing that the situation occurred due to the mass resignation of junior doctors, South Korean daily Kukmin Ilbo also reported, citing the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSC HQ).

The CDSC HQ immediately dispatched a response team to the hospital on Feb. 29 and conducted an on-site investigation.

However, the hospital maintained that there was no case of fetus death in its hospital.

 

Significant disruption

 

The friction between trainee doctors and the government has caused significant disruption to medical services.

SBS said that between the Feb. 19 to 27, 2024, there were 304 problem cases reported that were related to the disruption, with a majority due to the trainee doctor strike.

Surgeries and other public health services at major hospitals have either been cancelled or delayed, Yonhap reported.

There was also a report claiming that a patient died after his emergency surgery was delayed, Korea Times reported.

 

Suspending medical licenses

 

The Health Ministry on Mar. 21, 2024 said that it will begin suspending the medical licenses of junior doctors who refused to comply with the return-to-work order from next week, reported Yonhap.

The ministry also sent notices of license suspension to about 5,000 trainee doctors, who are also required to share their opinions on the punitive step by next Monday (Mar. 25). After which, the ministry will be allowed to deliver formal notices of license suspension.

"We urge junior doctors to return to their training hospitals, not only for the sake of patients, but for your colleagues who are filling in for your vacancies, and for yourselves who have chosen the career of medicine," Second Vice Health Minister Park Min Soo said.

 

https://mothership.sg/2024/03/south-korea-woman-suffers-miscarriage/

[XianGe]

All abt the $$$...