Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Monday that the government will activate the emergency operation system of public medical institutions and fully allow the use of telemedicine services in the event of collective action by doctors. 

The prime minister made the remarks at the beginning of a meeting of related ministers to discuss the response to doctors’ collective action, stressing the need to minimize inconveniences to the public if there is a vacuum in the healthcare system. 

Han said the government will operate the emergency rooms of 409 state-designated medical institutions around the clock to ensure that there are no disruptions to emergency services. 

He also mentioned that the government will prioritize surgical procedures for emergency and critically ill patients and establish a system to provide services for essential medicine, adding the government will prepare to mobilize public health doctors and military doctors if the situation worsens. 

Han expressed regret over doctors’ moves to launch collective action, saying that trainee doctors at five major hospitals in Seoul are set to resign en masse on Monday and walk out Tuesday and medical students plan to take their leaves of absence en masse on Tuesday. 

The prime minister stressed that if medical groups withdraw their collective action plans and cooperate with the government's medical reform plans for the good of both citizens and doctors, the government will be able to achieve its medical reforms faster.