South Korea Considers Adjusting Medical School Admissions Amid Doctor Shortage

South Korea's presidential office is open to adjusting a plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 for 2026, amid a doctors' strike. The government faces pressure due to a shortage of doctors, especially in emergency rooms. Military doctors are being deployed to address the issue.

South Korea's presidential office has indicated its willingness to modify the proposed increase of medical school admissions by 2,000 for the year 2026. This comes as the nation grapples with a doctors' strike, according to Yonhap news agency.

The report also mentioned that the presidential office is considering forming a consultative body with the ruling and opposition parties to tackle the ongoing doctor shortage. The strike, involving thousands of trainee doctors, has been in response to the government's plan to boost medical student numbers.

Despite the ongoing crisis, the government's plan remains unchanged. However, they are open to discussions if doctors are willing to negotiate. Meanwhile, the health ministry has deployed military doctors to mitigate the shortage but dismissed claims that the healthcare system is nearing collapse.

(With inputs from agencies.)