"Current Government's Attitude Undermines Medical Practice"
"Apologies to Patients"
On the 25th, the first day the resignation letters of medical school professors nationwide, including those from the 'Big 5' hospitals, took effect, a handwritten poster was posted in a ward at Seoul National University Hospital. The poster began with the statement, "Currently, medical care in the Republic of Korea is being butchered by political issues," and explained the reasons for the resignation.
The poster, attached to the door of the clinic of Professor Jang Beom-seop from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the hospital, stated, "Currently, medical care in the Republic of Korea is being butchered by political issues," and added, "I have treated patients sincerely, but the claim that doctors earn 300 to 400 million KRW annually is nonsense, and due to the government's low medical fees, only 5-minute consultations per patient are possible."
Professor Jang argued, "Ignoring the voices from the medical field and focusing on the number 2,000 for medical school admissions will further deplete medical finances, and patients will become sacrifices due to various unnecessary treatments. No one will want to remain at university hospitals."
He revealed that he has been renewing his contract annually for six years since obtaining his specialist qualification, stating, "The current government's attitude makes medical practice exhausting and leads to passive care." He added, "Living foolishly, sacrificing my personal life while dealing with various diseases acquired at the age of forty, thinking it was necessary, now seems to have been a mistake."
He continued, "I submitted my resignation letter feeling great skepticism and helplessness about being a professor at a hospital that educates true doctors," and added, "I only feel sorry for the patients."
Meanwhile, the government expressed regret over medical school professors announcing their intention to join the wave of resignations by residents who have left hospitals for over two months. Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, stated the previous day, "There are not many resignation letters that have been properly submitted to the education authorities with the correct procedures, forms, and content, and it is understood that there are no plans to accept them." He added, "I don't understand what it means to resign without the resignation letter being accepted. There are not many irresponsible professors in reality who say, 'I submitted my resignation, so I won't come to work starting tomorrow.'" However, some medical school professors intend to leave the hospital regardless of whether their resignation letters are accepted. Bang Jae-seung, the emergency committee chairman of the Seoul National University College of Medicine Professors Association, announced that he would resign starting next month, stating, "The resignation letter is the last card professors can play," and argued, "Since the government does not trust our sincerity, we will resign."
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