Senior physicians at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) and Asan Medical Center (AMC) said they decided to refuse surgery and outpatient care by taking a day off every week in a growing protest against the government’s push to increase medical school enrollment quota. 

The emergency response committee of the faculty at Seoul National University College of Medicine and SNUH decided on Tuesday that they would suspend outpatient clinics and surgeries once a week from April 30.

However, they will continue treatment for critically ill patients and those with emergency care.

The emergency response committee includes medical professors at SNUH, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH), and SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center.

Also on Tuesday afternoon, the emergency committee of medical professors at the University of Ulsan College of Medicine who work at AMC, Ulsan University Hospital, and Gangneung Asan Medical Center held a meeting and decided to stop surgeries and outpatient care once a week from May 3. 

Along with the decision, they plan to submit resignations starting from Thursday this week. 

“A prolonged medical emergency situation forced medical professors to reschedule outpatient clinics and surgeries due to mental and physical limitations,” the emergency response committee of the University of Ulsan College of Medicine said. 

“Physicians  with young children will apply for parental leave due to the challenges of childcare with continued practice and being on call frequently.”

On Thursday evening, the emergency response committee of medical professors nationwide held an online meeting and reconfirmed that senior doctors would start resigning starting from Thursday this week. 

“Medical professors are currently working 70 to 100 hours per week, their minds and bodies are stretched to the limit, we are taking one day off next week. The date is at the discretion of each university,” the emergency committee said. 

Starting in April, Chungbuk National University Hospital stopped outpatient clinics and surgeries on Fridays. 

Chungnam National University Hospital and Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital will take a day off every Friday starting from April 26.