UPDATE - South Korean trainee doctors' protest to intensify as new graduates refuse to take internships

UPDATES WITH DETAILS ABOUT FRESH GRADUATES' REFUSAL TO TAKE INTERNSHIPS; CHANGES HEADER, LEDE

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - An ongoing walkout protest by South Korean trainee doctors that has already taken a toll on the country's healthcare system, is expected to intensify as fresh medical graduates reportedly refused to take internships, local media reported on Sunday.

The move to join the large-scale protest against the government's plan to boost the number of medical students is likely to add to the already increasing pressure on the government, the Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

Some 188 intern candidates at Chonnam National University Hospital, Jeju National University Hospital, Pusan National University Hospital, and Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital have declined internships.

Hospitals across South Korea continued to grapple with disruptions to their daily operations on Sunday, as a large-scale walkout by trainee doctors entered its sixth consecutive day.

The protests began on Tuesday in the Far East nation after thousands of junior doctors, including trainee medics, filed mass resignations against the government's plan to admit 2,000 more students to medical schools next year.

Currently, South Korea admits 3,058 students for medical studies.

All major hospitals have been experiencing delays in their operating schedules, which has prompted even patients in critical condition to seek care at smaller medical facilities.

Some hospitals adjusted their intensive care unit schedules from three shifts to two because of the shortage of on-duty doctors.

The government has also extended health care hours, among other measures, to "minimize the impact of the move on the health and lives of the people."

The government claims that the planned increase in the number of medical students is necessary to address a “shortage” of doctors, particularly in rural areas and essential medical fields, particularly high-risk surgeries, pediatrics, obstetrics, and emergency medicine.

Doctors, however, demand that the government rather focus on improving compensation to induce more physicians to practice in such unpopular areas.

In a related development, the Korean Medical Association, a nationwide lobbying group of doctors, plans to convene a meeting later Sunday to discuss their course of action.