8,000 hospitals to be available during Chuseok holiday amid medical crisis

Nearly 8,000 hospitals and community clinics are expected to provide medical services during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, more than double the number available during the Lunar New Year holiday in February, the health ministry said Monday. The number of medical centers that plan to open during the Chuseok holiday that begins later this week is likely to come to 7,931 per day on average, compared with 3,643 clinics available during the Lunar New Year holiday in February, according to the ministry. Nationwide, 518 emergency rooms and emergency facilities will provide emergency care services, it added. There have been mounting concerns about further disruptions to the national health care system during the holiday, as a majority of junior doctors have left their workplaces since February in protest of the government's decision to sharply raise the medical school admission quota. The monthslong action has put a strain on the country's medical system, prompting major hospitals to cut back on surgeries, outpa tient treatment services, and the operation of emergency room operations. The government plans to temporarily increase medical fees for clinics operating during the holiday and give more incentives to emergency centers, the ministry said. Source: Yonhap News Agency