S Korea's trainee doctors accuse vice health minister of abuse of power

Seoul, April 15 (IANS) More than 1,300 trainee doctors in South Korea are set to file a complaint against Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo for alleged abuse of power, one of the junior doctors said on Monday, as their mass walkout has disrupted public health services for nearly eight weeks.

A total of 1,360 trainee doctors will ask the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials to investigate Park, accusing him of abusing power and interfering with the exercise of their rights, Jung Geun-young, a former representative of junior doctors at Cha University Bundang Medical Center, told mediapersons, Yonhap news agency reported.

The health ministry has ordered trainee doctors, who left their worksites on February 20 after submitting resignations en masse in protest of the government's plan to hike the number of medical students, to return to work.

Hospitals have not accepted their resignations.

"The government has abused its power to ban hospitals from processing junior doctors' resignations, and issued return-to-work orders to make young doctors work against their will," Jung said.

Jung pointed out that the government has obstructed the exercise of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including their freedom to choose jobs and not engage in forced labour.

"We demand a prompt dismissal of Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo," Jung said. "Park has led the misguided policies, neglected the rights of the people, and disrupted the constitutional order during the process."

Jung also said trainee doctors won't return to work unless the government sacks Park.

The complaint will be filed later in the day, the report said.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong once again called on doctors on Monday to come forward for dialogue to end the prolonged walkout by junior doctors and present a unified proposal regarding the quota for medical school admissions, stressing its firm will to push for medical reform plans, Yonhap reported.

"The government's will for medical reform remains strong. The medical school quota hike and other reform measures are preconditions for reviving essential medical fields and medical systems in rural areas," Cho said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

"Time is running out given the schedule for the government's announcement of detailed plans and requirements for college entrance next year. The medical circle should come up with a unified proposal swiftly based on scientific grounds," he added.