(LEAD) Korea University hospitals say business as usual despite voluntary leave by senior doctors

The three major hospitals affiliated with Korea University appeared to have conducted business as usual on Friday, although their senior doctors started taking voluntary leave in support of striking junior doctors. The senior doctors at Korea University's Anam Hospital, Guro Hospital and Ansan Hospital began reducing the treatment of non-critical patients earlier in the day while maintaining the operation of emergency rooms and intensive care units. An official at Korea University Medicine said the three hospitals were "currently under normal operations." "Not many professors seem to be taking leave," a Korea University professor told Yonhap News Agency on the condition of anonymity. "Although we want to take collective action, it is not easy to stop taking care of patients." The emergency committee of the medical professors at the university said around 80 percent of the professors voted in favor of the walkout, joining walkouts by two other major hospitals in Seoul. Medical professors at three major h ospitals of Yonsei University have also been participating in a walkout since late last month, while those at Asan Medical Center have been cutting outpatient care since early July, blaming the government for causing disruptions in public health services. Since late February, about 12,000 trainee doctors have left their worksites in protest of the government's plan to boost the number of medical students. The walkout has put a strain on major hospitals because they heavily rely on junior doctors. With the hike in the medical school admissions quota finalized, the government has taken steps to persuade trainee doctors to return to hospitals, including a decision to drop all punitive measures against them. But junior doctors were largely seen as unresponsive. According to the health ministry, only 8 percent of junior doctors at 211 training hospitals remained at their worksites as of Wednesday. Source: Yonhap News Agency