의사협회 오늘 집단휴진…필수인력 남기지만 진료차질 불가피<br /><br />Roughly a quarter of the country's 33-thousand hospitals and clinics have closed their doors as doctors are on a 24-hour strike.<br />They are protesting against the government's recent health reform proposals, including upping the number of medical students in the country, after South Korea suffered a shortages of doctors because of the COVID-19 outbreak.<br />Our Eum Ji-young is on the line.<br />Ji-young, what can you tell us?<br />Mark, the Health Ministry said on Thursday that more than eight-thousand-three-hundred clinics nationwide would close their doors on Friday.<br />South Korea's largest doctor's union,... the Korean Medical Association, which represents around 130-thousand doctors, organized the one-day walk-out and 26 other medical groups are also participating.<br />They are to hold a mass rally at Yeouido Park at 3:00 PM on Friday and other rallies will be held in 5 regions across the country including Busan and Daegu between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM.<br />Friday's strike is larger compared to the walk-out staged last Friday by trainee doctors. That's because this time, some doctors at hospitals and local clinics are taking part as well.<br />But doctors who work in vital departments including intensive care units and emergency rooms will work as normal.<br />The Ministry of Health and Welfare urged the doctors to cancel their strike and the government is going all out to minimize any inconvenience for patients.<br />The ministry said it is running 24-hour emergency rooms and will extend operating hours on Friday and on the weekend at some institutions.<br />The government is to post the list of institutions that are running on Friday on the health ministry and national health insurance websites.<br />That's all I have for now but there will be more updates in our later newscast. Back to you Mark.<br />
