"Participation in Strong Work Stoppages if Major Resistance Needed in the Future"
The Emergency Response Committee of the Catholic University College of Medicine Professors' Association has decided to temporarily suspend the indefinite strike. However, they stated that resistance to government policies will continue in various forms.
The Catholic University College of Medicine Professors' Emergency Committee announced on the 25th that, based on a survey conducted from the 21st until the afternoon of the previous day, while there is consensus on the need for a strike to protest government policies, opinions have converged on changing the method.
They are suspending the indefinite strike for now but stated they will strike again if necessary in the future. According to the committee, 70% of the professors who responded to the survey expressed that instead of a strike, they prefer to minimize treatment of mild patients by reducing medical services to lessen patients' inconvenience and fear. However, 82% also indicated that if a moment requiring strong resistance arises, they would participate in a powerful strike.
The committee said, "Based on the survey results and after intense discussions, we decided to postpone the start of the indefinite strike," adding, "However, Catholic University Hospital will continue to protest and resist the flawed government policies in various forms." The Catholic Medical Center operates eight hospitals under its umbrella, including Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, and Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital.
The committee conveyed that among professors, there were concerns that although the strike was intended to protest policies, it only increased attention on the strike itself and exacerbated patients' fears, causing a counterproductive effect.
They also urged for special measures to be taken for medical students who have not been able to return. The committee stated, "Medical students have spent a semester unable to return, and even if they now return to attend classes, the situation is difficult to manage," emphasizing, "Normal education is impossible under these circumstances."
They added, "We hope the current actions that undermine the foundation of medical education will stop, and we urge the preparation of alternatives that minimize harm to students."
The committee also insisted that the government must accept the seven demands of the residents. They said, "The residents have declared that their demands remain unchanged, and if the government fails to resolve the issues, the collapse of South Korea's healthcare system, which has already begun, will be uncontrollable," adding, "The only way to fix this is to accept the seven demands."
Earlier, the Korean Intern Resident Association announced seven demands, including ▲ complete cancellation of the medical school expansion plan and essential medical policy package ▲ establishment of a scientific physician supply and demand forecasting body ▲ expansion of specialist recruitment at training hospitals ▲ legal burden relief for unavoidable medical accidents ▲ improvement of resident training environments ▲ complete withdrawal of unfair orders to residents ▲ and complete abolition of work commencement orders.
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