“The primary responsibility of anyone in the medical profession is to care for the patient’s health and life,” said Tak Young-ran, the president of the Korean Nursing Association, urging the doctors to return to work.
The growing pressure on hospitals spurred the government to raise its health alert to “severe” from “cautious” on Friday after emergency departments in the biggest hospitals have been squeezed since the protest began on Tuesday.
The protesting doctors say the real issue is pay and working conditions, not the number of physicians.
But the government plan aims to remedy a shortage of as many as 15,000 doctors expected by 2035, among one of the world’s fastest-ageing populations, where physicians, too, are greying.
Senior doctors and the Korean Medical Association, which represents private practitioners, have stayed out of the walkout but held rallies urging the government to scrap its plan. Another large rally is expected on Sunday in Seoul, the capital.
The prime minister renewed a call to the young doctors not to tarnish by their actions the memory of their sacrifice and dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic that had won them the respect of the public.
He asked those in the medical community to stop “pushing young doctors” and said the government was always open to talks.
Many Koreans support the plan for more medical school admissions, with a recent Gallup Korea poll showing about 76 per cent of respondents in favour, regardless of political affiliation.