Despite professors’ 1-day leave, SNUH reduces confusion by coordinating appointments

On Tuesday, when professors at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) took a day off after trainee doctors left, there was no major disruption, mainly because the hospital coordinated treatment schedules in advance.

The outpatient reception desk on the first floor of SNUH’s main building, which seemed quiet in the early morning, quickly became crowded with outpatients. The Cancer Hospital and Children's Hospital were busy as usual, with patients waiting for appointments and outpatient services.

However, some of the rooms at the Children's Hospital were unlit, and there were no professors in the surgery and cardiothoracic surgery departments, either.

Hospital officials said they didn't see much difference in patient numbers before and after the resignations of trainee doctors and the announcement of professors’ furlough.

"The number of patients has not changed much from before. Recently, neurosurgery and cardiology seem to be the most crowded departments," said a staff member who guides patients. "We haven't received any complaints. Most patients who come to the hospital make appointments in advance, so we don't receive complaints on the spot."

Patients who visited the hospital also said there were no major inconveniences.

"I didn't hear about any delays," said a woman who came to the hospital with her husband for a medical appointment. "However, I feel uneasy about the ongoing medical crisis. I hope President Yoon Suk Yeol resolves the situation quickly."

Seoul National University Hospital and the Faculty Emergency Committee explained that they had rescheduled outpatient appointments and contacted patients before the closure, so there were no major disruptions. However, they said it is difficult to determine the number of professors participating in the leave because it is voluntary.

"There are no statistics on the number of professors who took a leave of absence," said a professor at the emergency committee. "The leave of absence was officially requested by individual professors about a week ago by posting a cooperation document to the hospital. In this case, we go through the procedure of rescheduling patients scheduled for that day in advance by phone. I understand that we have been rescheduling outpatient appointments since last week so that no patients are left unattended."

An SNUH official also said, "We are checking the number of professors on leave. Normally, when a professor is on leave due to a conference or other scheduling issues, all previously scheduled outpatient appointments must be rescheduled before they can apply for leave. We understand that patients have been notified in advance, and the same process will be followed now."