Medical Professors Nationwide Discuss 'Once a Week' Suspension of Clinics and Surgeries

Seoul, Yonsei, Ulsan Universities and Over 20 Major Medical Schools Nationwide Expected to Participate

The Emergency Response Committee of Medical School Professors Nationwide (Jeon-ui-bi) is discussing a plan to suspend both outpatient care and surgeries once a week. This measure is considered unavoidable due to accumulated fatigue following the departure of residents from hospitals two months ago.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Jeon-ui-bi held a general meeting online and announced that they will discuss designating one day per week to suspend all outpatient care and surgeries by professors. The specific details, such as the start date of the suspension, will be discussed at the general meeting and may vary depending on each hospital's situation.

The emergency committees of Chungnam National University Hospital and Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, which have participated in Jeon-ui-bi, have already decided to suspend outpatient care and surgeries every Friday starting this week. However, treatment and surgeries for emergency and severe patients will continue.

If Jeon-ui-bi decides on a 'once-a-week suspension,' it is expected that major hospitals nationwide will join. Jeon-ui-bi includes over 20 major medical schools nationwide, such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Ulsan University.

The Emergency Committee of Seoul National University College of Medicine also held a general meeting on the same day and decided to make the one-day-a-week suspension a key agenda item, while the Emergency Committee of Ulsan University College of Medicine is discussing restrictions on new patient care.

At the general meeting on the 19th, Jeon-ui-bi discussed the necessity of readjusting care for outpatient and inpatient patients and considered limiting the treatment of new patients.

Currently, medical school professors and the medical community maintain the position that the increase in medical school admissions should be reconsidered from the beginning. The government has proposed a compromise plan allowing autonomous recruitment of new students within 50 to 100% of the increased quota only for the 2025 medical school freshman admissions. The medical community has expressed opposition to this plan as well.