Home
Korean Sitemap
 


[107] 2014.03.10
Doctors Must End the Strike and Guarantee Patients of Their Right to Proper Health Care

#701 Seoul YWCA 20, Myeong-dong 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
TEL.: 82-774-4050/FAX: 82-774-4090
On March 10, the Korean Medical Association went on a general strike in protest against the government’s plan regarding the enactment of a law allowing the treatment of patients in remote locations and invigoration of investment by allowing medical corporations to establish subsidiaries. During the voting carried out between March 21 and March 28, 37,472 doctors, i.e., 76.7%, consented to the one-day strike.
 
Their strike is an expression of will to defy the government, but constitutes an infringement of patients’ right to treatment. The strike is an antisocial, unethical act. Aside from the legal perspective, such act can never be viewed as one done by those who have taken the Hippocratic Oath (“The health of my patient will be my first consideration. I will respect the secrets confided in me.”).
 
A doctor’s duty is to take care of patients. Doctors should keep in mind that they should prioritize people’s health instead of focusing on their vocational rights. Their group action of refusing medical service means reneging on their responsibility as elite members of society. They should look at themselves again and remember the sense of mission imposed on them.
 
As for the government, it should take responsibility for letting the situation go this far. It should take measures to solve the fundamental problems associated with doctors’ class action. As medical consumers, we lament the reality wherein we pay medical insurance premium every month but are at the mercy of doctors who decide to go on a general strike and urge that the government find a prompt solution to the current problem.
 
Finally, we denounce any decision made by doctors to avoid taking care of patients, whatever the reason may be.


#524, #525, 47, Sejong-daero 23-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Postal code: 03182)
  TEL 82-2-774-4050   FAX 82-2-774-4090   E-mail: sohyub@consumer.or.kr