Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs SEOUL: South Korea’s leading doctors’ body on Saturday (Apr 20) rejected a revised medical reform plan from the government, the initial version of which sparked a strike two months ago.
The ongoing walkout by thousands of trainee doctors has caused chaos in South Korean hospitals, and is in response to a plan to boost annual admissions to medical schools by 2,000 from next year.
The government on Friday offered its first concession, allowing 32 universities to admit as few as 1,000 medical students instead of the initially proposed 2,000, but the Korean Medical Association (KMA) said the plan must be abandoned entirely within a week.
“Since this is not a fundamental solution, the emergency committee of the Korean Medical Association clearly states that it cannot accept it,” Kim Sung-geun, a KMA spokesperson, told reporters.
“For the sake of our country’s future and to protect the health of patients currently suffering, we ask the president…to discuss this again from square one.”
Kim said “one week is left” to find a solution.
The government claims its plan will alleviate doctor shortages for an ageing society, but medical professionals and trainees say it will diminish the quality of education and healthcare.
The strike, which began on Feb 20, has forced hospitals to cancel essential treatments and surgeries.
