"Does a 1% Increase in Doctors Cause Deaths or Medical Collapse?"... A Sharp Critique from a Professor Not Taking Leave

"My Colleagues and Juniors' Decisions Are Incomprehensible"

A professor specializing in epilepsy has decided not to participate in the collective strike resolved by the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and medical school professors. The professor appealed to colleagues, stating that collective leave by medical professionals is essentially a 'death sentence' for critically ill patients.

Hong Seung-bong, chairman of the Regional Epilepsy Support Hospital Council and a neurology professor at Samsung Seoul Hospital, stated in an article for 'Mediponews' on the 16th, "Mass resignation or leave is tantamount to a death sentence for critically ill patients."

He said, "If 1,509 doctors enter society 10 years from now, that would correspond to 1% of the total 150,000 doctors," and added, "Can the increase of 1% in the number of doctors cause anyone to die or cause Korean healthcare to collapse?" He then questioned, "If patients die because of my resignation or leave, can it be justified regardless of the purpose?"

Amid the widespread "complete closure" affecting both local clinics and university hospitals, on the 14th, a visitor in a wheelchair at Seoul National University Hospital was seen touching their forehead.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Hong also shared the current situation of epilepsy patients he treats. "One to two young patients with severe intractable epilepsy die every day," he said, "The cause is sudden death, which is 30 times more likely, or accidental death due to epileptic seizures. Undergoing epilepsy surgery reduces the mortality rate to one-third, and the long-term survival rate over 10 years increases from 50% to 90%."

He continued, "However, due to a shortage of anesthesia personnel caused by the resignation of residents, we are unable to perform even 40% of the scheduled epilepsy surgeries," and lamented, "There are only seven hospitals nationwide capable of performing epilepsy surgery?six in Seoul and one in Busan?and all are in similar situations due to resident resignations. Most surgeries have been canceled or indefinitely postponed."

He said, "Critically ill patients, who have done nothing wrong and whom the state and doctors must protect, have lost their lives or are in danger," and added, "Is it acceptable to let patients die now because the number of doctors will increase in 10 years? Although it is the decision of junior and fellow doctors, I cannot understand it as a doctor and as a citizen."

He further appealed, "Patients die because of a shortage of doctors, not because there are too many doctors; there is no country in the world where patients die due to an excess of doctors," and said, "If my son or daughter were medical students or residents, I would persuade them to return quickly. The experience of saving even one life during a medical career is a great strength throughout that doctor's life."

Earlier, the KMA announced three demands to the government ahead of the full strike scheduled for the previous day. The demands included ▲reconsideration of the medical school quota increase plan ▲modification and supplementation of contentious issues in the essential medical policy package ▲immediate retroactive cancellation of all administrative orders and sanctions related to residents and medical students and cessation of threats of judicial action. They also added a condition that if the government accepts these, the decision to suspend the collective strike scheduled for the 18th would be put to a vote among all members.

However, on the 17th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "The government has already explained several times and has no change in its existing position," effectively rejecting the demands. In response, the KMA immediately opposed this and announced its intention to proceed with the collective strike and rally as planned.