Healthcare Workers' Union: "Nurses in Burnout... Shifting Responsibility for Medical Service Gaps"

"Remaining Medical Staff on Site Reach Their Limits"

The Health and Medical Workers' Union stated that the background of their decision to go on a general strike is "the remaining medical staff bearing the responsibility for the medical vacuum caused by the residents' strike, leading to extreme fatigue."

Song Geum-hee, the senior vice chairperson of the Health and Medical Workers' Union, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 27th and said, "The Health and Medical Workers' Union strike is somewhat different from the residents' collective refusal to provide medical care," adding, "The government has not presented any sharp alternatives, and employers are unilaterally shifting the responsibility for the medical vacuum onto the workers. These situations are driving our health and medical workers to strike."

As the medical service gap crisis prolongs, the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union (Health and Medical Labor Union) has announced a general strike starting from the 29th. On the 25th, a related banner was displayed at a hospital in downtown Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Vice Chairperson Song explained that specialists and nurses are filling the gaps left by the residents, but as the medical-government conflict has continued for over six months, the fatigue among frontline personnel is increasing. She said, "Residents have mainly been responsible for emergency rooms, intensive care units, and general wards," and added, "Not only physician assistant (PA) nurses but also general nurses are being burdened with doctors' tasks, leading to burnout, and specialists have also reached their limits."

In particular, the collapse of essential and regional medical care is also being detected. Vice Chairperson Song stated, "Before the medical-government conflict arose, regional hospitals already had a significant shortage of emergency room doctors who provide essential regional medical care," and continued, "Since the conflict, there have been many resignations among emergency room and surgical doctors, especially anesthesiologists, and emergency room doctors are moving to the metropolitan area or large hospitals."

Regarding the Health and Medical Workers' Union's demands for 'eradication of illegal medical practices and clarification of work scope,' Vice Chairperson Song said, "Currently, some nurses are performing doctors' tasks without systematic training or legal protection," adding, "The problem arises because the scope of work between doctors and nurses is unclear. This is clearly illegal medical practice."

Earlier, as part of measures to resolve the medical field vacuum, the government expanded the scope of work for PA nurses and specified that "administrative and civil liabilities, as well as criminal joint liability due to insufficient management and supervision, shall be attributed to the head of the medical institution." However, Vice Chairperson Song emphasized that in reality, nurses inevitably bear responsibility in case of accidents.

She pointed out, "The hospital taking responsibility legally means hiring a lawyer, but in practice, the person who performed the act is punished," and added, "Without a training process, especially in a situation where there is a shortage of skilled nurses, less experienced nurses performing these tasks may cause serious medical accidents."

Furthermore, she said, "Concrete and reasonable measures must come out as the government's medical reform policy. Medical associations should also cooperate as a top priority to normalize medical care," and added, "Regarding medical reform measures, they should not just oppose unconditionally but present reasonable alternatives so that the public can trust them and a dialogue platform can be opened."