South Korea Faces Possible ER Crisis Amidst Doctor Strike and COVID-19 Surge

South Korea's medical association has warned of potential hospital emergency room closures next month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases and a strike by trainee doctors. The government disputes these claims and is providing additional support. The strike is a response to a plan to increase medical student numbers to address doctor shortages.

South Korea's medical association raised alarms on Friday, warning that a surge in COVID-19 cases coupled with an ongoing strike by trainee doctors could incapacitate hospital emergency rooms next month. This concern is exacerbated by an upcoming public holiday, which will see many doctors taking time off.

The government, however, disputes the risk of emergency room (ER) closures cited by the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and asserts that additional support is being provided as needed. The dispute intensifies a crisis initiated in February when thousands of trainee doctors, including interns and residents, walked out to protest a plan to increase medical student numbers by 2,000 annually to mitigate a projected shortage of doctors.

As these trainee doctors have left, hospitals have had to turn patients away from ERs due to staff shortages, creating heavier burdens on existing doctors. The KMA noted that ER physicians at university hospitals have been resigning, driven by overwork and the risk of malpractice lawsuits due to fatigue. Chuseok, a significant public holiday, and the peak of COVID-19 cases in September could lead to serial shutdowns of emergency rooms, warned KMA spokesperson Chae Dong-young.

While the Health Ministry acknowledges that some ERs may need support from military or community doctors, it denies that closures are imminent. South Korea faces a revived COVID-19 wave, but the ministry states that over 95% of ER visits are non-acute cases that could be managed by clinics.

In a bid to reform the medical system, the government has proposed incentives for doctors in essential disciplines and in regions beyond Seoul. Additionally, increasing the cost of ER services for non-acute conditions is being considered to relieve the pressure on emergency facilities.

(With inputs from agencies.)