Thousands of Residents Nationwide Resign Collectively... "Over 1,000 Expected in Seoul Alone"

More than 600 at Severance Hospital Alone
'Medical Crisis' Inevitable from the 20th
Ministry of Health Issues 'Treatment Maintenance Order' to Residents Nationwide

Not only the major large hospitals in Seoul, known as the 'Big 5,' but also training hospitals nationwide are facing a reality of mass resignations among residents. If they leave the hospital sites starting from the 20th, concerns are growing that a 'medical crisis' involving surgery cancellations, disruptions in medical care, and emergency room paralysis will be inevitable.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the medical community on the 19th, as the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA) had warned, over 1,000 residents have expressed their intention to resign as resignation letters from residents at the Big 5 hospitals were submitted one after another on this day. Previously, KIRA announced that after discussions with representatives of residents from the Big 5 hospitals, all would submit their resignation letters by the 19th and cease work starting at 6 a.m. on the 20th.

There are about 13,000 residents working at 221 training hospitals nationwide. Among them, 2,745 residents are at the Big 5 hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. Samsung Medical Center reported that about 160 residents, accounting for 30-40% of its total 525 residents, have submitted resignation letters, while Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital said 190 out of 290 residents have done so. Asan Medical Center is also understood to have a significant number of residents, including interns and residents totaling 578, who have expressed their intention to resign.

Severance Hospital, where many residents stopped working starting a day earlier than the date announced by KIRA, reportedly has about 600 out of 612 residents expressing their intention to resign, excluding a few. Seoul National University Hospital is still tallying resignation letters submitted by department, so the exact scale is difficult to determine. Although the specific numbers vary by hospital, the medical community generally agrees that the number will easily exceed 1,000 residents in Seoul alone.

On this day, the wave of resident resignations continued at training hospitals nationwide. In Gyeonggi Province, more than 110 residents from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, a branch of Seoul National University Hospital, and about 130 residents from Ajou University Hospital submitted resignation letters. In Incheon, Inha University Hospital had 100 residents, Gachon University Gil Medical Center 71, and Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital 60 residents expressing their intention to resign.

At Jeonbuk National University Hospital, 189 residents decided to submit resignation letters, and although 126 residents at Wonkwang University Hospital had their initial resignations rejected, they are likely to resubmit and stop working. At Chonnam National University Hospital, 224 residents, and at Chosun University Hospital, 108 residents submitted resignation letters. In Gangwon Province, resignations continued with 64 residents at Gangwon National University Hospital, 97 at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, and 19 at Gangneung Asan Hospital. In Daejeon, 47 residents at Daejeon St. Mary’s Hospital and 42 at Daejeon Eulji University Hospital also expressed their intention to resign.

In South Gyeongsang Province, 351 residents from four hospitals submitted resignation letters: 138 from Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, 121 from Jinju Gyeongsang National University Hospital, 71 from Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Changwon Hospital, and 21 from Changwon National Gyeongsang University Hospital. In Ulsan, 25 residents from Ulsan University Hospital, and in Daegu, 65 from Yeungnam University Hospital joined the collective action by submitting resignation letters. In Jeju Island, a significant number of residents from Jeju National University Hospital (73) and Halla Hospital (13) submitted resignation letters.

Accordingly, when combining all residents who submitted resignation letters at the Big 5 hospitals and training hospitals nationwide, the total is estimated to reach several thousand.

On this day, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued a 'Medical Service Maintenance Order' to all residents at the 221 training hospitals nationwide, urging them not to leave the medical field. Park Min-su, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "We will definitely improve this time so that doctors can nurture their dreams under better conditions, escape from excessive labor, and receive genuine education and training," and earnestly appealed, "Please do not turn your back on patients."