Pilot Project to Shorten Consecutive Duty Hours for Residents... '36 Hours → 24~30 Hours'

Incentives Including Additional Resident Assignments
Recruitment of Pilot Project Participants from 2nd to 17th

The government will introduce a pilot project starting this month to reduce the excessive workload of medical residents (interns and residents) by shortening continuous working hours from 36 hours to 24-30 hours beginning in May.

Jeon Byeong-wang, the 1st Controller of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and Director of Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, is briefing on the results of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting in response to the doctors' collective action on the afternoon of the 26th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The government announced that it decided on this matter during the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on the first day of the doctors' collective action. The government plans to implement the pilot project to shorten continuous working hours ahead of the enforcement of the revised law aimed at improving the training environment and status of medical residents.

Hospitals participating in the pilot project will autonomously reduce the continuous working hours of medical residents from the current 36 hours to 24-30 hours depending on hospital conditions for one year. Work patterns, schedules, and additional staffing will be adjusted autonomously by each hospital accordingly.

The government is recruiting institutions to participate in the pilot project by the 17th, targeting a total of 218 medical resident training hospitals. Each hospital must apply including two or more departments among the 26 specialties, specifically the essential medical fields of Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and the departments with high resident working hours such as Neurosurgery and Thoracic Surgery.

Hospitals participating in the pilot project will be exempted from on-site surveys for this year’s or next year’s training environment evaluations to reduce administrative burdens. Depending on the number of participating departments, up to five additional resident quotas will be allocated separately in 2025, and hospitals with excellent project outcomes will receive additional quotas in 2026 to support further staffing. From next year, financial support for the additional personnel’s wages is also under consideration.

Jeon Byeong-wang, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, “Since the pilot project starts midway through this year, the related budget has not been reflected yet. The financial aspects will be included in next year’s budget.”

Meanwhile, regarding the medical professors’ strike the previous day, the government reported that “Among 88 hospitals affiliated with 40 medical schools, 8 hospitals suspended outpatient services, and the reduced outpatient volume ranged from a minimum of 2.5% to a maximum of 35%.” Director Jeon explained, “Although some doctors’ strikes were anticipated yesterday, there was no major disruption,” adding, “We take the fears of patients who worry about delays in chemotherapy or postponed surgeries very seriously.”