Four days following the government’s return-to-work deadline for trainee doctors, almost nine thousand trainee doctors have been found to have left their worksites at 100 teaching hospitals nationwide.

Second vice health minister Park Min-soo said in a press briefing on Monday that inspections of 100 teaching hospitals found that eight-thousand-945 or 72 percent of resident doctors had left their jobs. 

The vice minister said that the government will start on-site inspections and deal with any illegal acts in accordance with the law, vowing to take swift, stern measures against key officials in charge of the collective action which has caused confusion at hospitals. 

The vice minister warned that those who defy the return-to-work order may get their licenses suspended for at least three months, which will delay their acquisition of specialist certifications. He added that their violation of administrative measures will be recorded and may negatively affect their employment. 

Park also mentioned the allegations that employees from pharmaceutical companies were mobilized for Sunday’s massive street rally organized by the Korean Medical Association, saying that the government will conduct a thorough investigation and hold accountable those responsible for any violations of law. 

As the trainee doctors’ walk-off entered its third week, the government plans to operate emergency medical situation offices in Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju starting Monday. They plan to ensure critically-ill patients will be transported to the right medical institutions to receive proper treatment in a timely manner.