Anchor: Major university hospitals such as Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital suspended outpatient treatment and surgeries on Tuesday. With professors at some 20 university hospitals suspending treatment for one day this week, the government has decided to dispatch additional medical personnel, while making assurances that the ongoing weekly suspensions won't cause a medical crisis.
Max Lee has this report. 

Report: Among the so-called 'Big Five' major hospitals in Seoul, medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital suspended or rescheduled their outpatient treatment and surgeries on Tuesday.

However, treatment of emergency or critically ill patients, as well as inpatient treatment are still ongoing.

Korea University Hospital and the Gyeongsang National University Hospital have also decided to suspend their outpatient treatment today. 

Among the 'Big Five' hospitals, Seoul Asan Hospital and Seoul Saint Mary's Hospital will begin their once-a-week suspension of outpatient treatment this Friday.

Medical professors from some 20 medical schools across the country, including the Seoul National University College of Medicine, have announced their plans to take part in the weekly suspension.

They said they need a day off to recover from working extended work hours amid a prolonged absence of trainee doctors who resigned en masse in protest of the government’s plan to increase the medical school admissions quota.

Medical professors have also warned they are handing in their resignations en masse.

Four professors in the Department of Essential Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital are scheduled to resign on Wednesday, while around 100 professors at Wonkwang University submitted their resignations on Monday.

The government insists there will be no major disruptions to the medical system due to the professor resignations or the weekly suspensions of outpatient treatment and surgeries, as it has decided to bring in additional medical personnel, including military doctors to fill the void. 

Meanwhile, starting Wednesday, the Korean Medical Association(KMA) will officially be led by the newly-elected chairman Lim Hyun-taek, known as a 'hardliner' against the government's planned medical school admissions quota hike. Watchers believe his leadership will make it even more difficult for the government and doctors to reach an agreement.
Max Lee, KBS World Radio News.