Medical professors take day off amid protracted walkouts by junior doctors
Medical professors at major hospitals took a day off Friday, the third of its kind in two weeks, as they expressed fatigue from filling the void of trainee doctors who left their worksites in protest of the government's medical reform, Yonhap reports.
While fatigued medical professors take a leave of absence, treatment of critically ill patients and inpatient services at their hospitals are provided, according to the hospitals.
Medical professors took a day off on April 30 and May 3, but no major disruptions of public health services were reported.
On Friday, some medical professors at four major hospitals in Seoul -- Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Severance Hospital and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital -- took a voluntary leave of absence.
It was unclear how many professors took a day off, but their action is expected to affect some 50 hospitals nationwide.
The professors, who are senior doctors at general hospitals, started taking a weekly day off in solidarity with some 12,000 trainee doctors who have left their worksites since Feb. 20 in protest of the plan to boost the number of medical students by 2,000.