Patients demonstrate against doctors’ strike

Members of patient advocacy groups stage a protest on Thursday, calling on doctors to end the ongoing strike at Bosingak Bell Pavilion in Seoul’s Jongno district. Yonhap

Asan Medical Center begins reducing medical services

By Jung Da-hyun

A total of 92 patient groups held an unprecedented rally in Seoul on Thursday, calling on the medical community to end its ongoing strike and urging the National Assembly to pass laws to prevent future collective action by medical professionals.

The groups, consisting of patients and their guardians, included the Union of Korea Breast Cancer Patients, the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization, and the Korean Organization for Rare Diseases.

Large rallies by patient organizations are extremely rare because their members are patients or their caregivers who are faced with health problems.

“We are here today to ensure that the strike does not cause further harm or frighten patients,” said Kwak Jeom-sun, chairman of the Korean Breast Cancer Patients Association.

“We urge doctors to return to their patients’ side as soon as possible.”

So far, patient groups have expressed their concerns at press conferences or meetings with government officials and politicians.

However, the unprecedented street demonstration was triggered by the strike by medical professors that has been ongoing since late February and has led to disruptions in the operations of major hospitals. Among other things, operations have been cancelled and postponed, although a court had rejected an injunction from the medical profession to stop the government’s plans to increase the admission quota for medical schools by 2,000 next year.

A closure notice was posted at Asan Medical Center on Thursday as medical professors began limiting the provision of medical treatment. Yonhap

Kim Jung-ae, 68, whose daughter suffers from Cornelia de Lange syndrome – a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body – attended the rally and criticized the use of patients’ lives as leverage in conflicts between the government and the medical sector.

“Patients just want an environment where they can be cared for when they are sick,” Kim said.

“Principles must be created to ensure that patients never have to live in fear again.”

The groups called on the medical community to end the indefinite strike and called on the government and the National Assembly to enact laws to prevent such incidents in the future.

They also stressed the need for laws to ensure that essential medical care, for example in emergency rooms, intensive care units and delivery rooms, continues without interruption even in the event of future collective actions by medical personnel.

Many patients directly affected by the doctors’ strike expressed their concerns.

Cho Eun-hee, 63, a breast cancer patient, told The Korea Times that her treatment and tests had been delayed for more than three months.

“Although my condition is not critical, the delay worries me because I need regular treatment,” she said.

Regarding Kim Sun-kyung, who had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer a few days before the strike began, he said: “Although I have a stomachache and need cancer treatment tomorrow, I came in the hope that the strike would end soon.”

She added: “I am very scared. I have to wait a long time for treatment, but the time at the doctor’s is very short. Both the doctors and the government must think of the patients first.”

Oh Sun-hye, a type 1 diabetic, recently had difficulty finding an appointment for surgery. She had to travel to North Jeolla Province because no hospital in Seoul could admit her.

“I am currently unable to get a surgery appointment at a university hospital and am behind on my medications,” Oh said.

Meanwhile, Asan Medical Center began limiting its medical services on Thursday. Medical professors at Korea University and Chungbuk National University have announced they will begin strikes on July 12 and July 26, respectively.

Doctors at Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital have suspended outpatient treatments, non-urgent surgeries and other services since late last month.