World News for Students of English

28-02-2024 07:00

South Korean trainee doctors are on strike protesting against the government’s plan to increase medical school admissions.

The strike involves nearly 8,000 trainees who argue that pay and working conditions need improvement before admitting more students. Their absence affects hospitals, leading to canceled surgeries and overwhelmed emergency rooms. Trainee doctors work long hours, up to 100 hours a week, and believe hiring more senior staff is a solution. They also fear increased competition with more medical students. The government aims to address a future doctor shortage by increasing admissions by 2,000 students by 2025. However, critics argue that existing doctors are sufficient, and increasing admissions won’t address underlying issues of pay and overwork.

The strike intensifies as the government issues back-to-work orders and promises legal action against non-compliant doctors.

Difficult words: admission (the process of accepting someone into an institution), underlying (basic), non-compliant (not doing what someone asks you to do).

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