S. Korea doctor group warns of ER crisis due to Covid-19, strike

South Korea's medical association warned on Aug 23 that a spike in Covid-19 cases and an ongoing strike by trainee doctors could cripple hospital emergency rooms (ERS) in September, at a time when many doctors will also be off due to a public holiday.

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The government has, however, disputed the risk of emergency room closures cited by the Korea Medical Association (KMA), and said it was providing additional support where needed.

Thousands of trainee doctors, including interns and resident doctors, walked off the job in February to protest against a plan to lift medical student numbers by 2,000 a year to meet what the authorities project will be a severe shortage of doctors.