ISTANBUL

Cancer patients in South Korea are facing severe health care disruptions as a prolonged doctors' strike significantly reduces the number of surgeries, according to data released by health authorities on Monday.

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) reported a 16.3% drop in cancer surgeries at major hospitals nationwide between February and June 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

The data, disclosed by opposition lawmaker Kim Yoon, showed that cancer surgeries fell to 57,244 from 68,425 year-on-year, a decrease of 11,181.

"Medical professionals have been turning a blind eye to the lives of patients, as seen in the steep decline in cancer surgeries," Yonhap quoted a Korean Cancer Patients Rights Council official as saying.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Health Ministry called for a police investigation into an online "blacklist" of emergency physicians who did not join the strike, calling it an "inexcusable crime," according to the media outlet.

The junior doctors' strike, which began in February, was initiated in protest of the government's plans to increase medical school admissions. The protest has resulted in widespread resignations of interns and residents, causing staff shortages in hospitals across the country.

Last week, the ministry responded by deploying military doctors and public physicians to understaffed emergency rooms but concerns remain about the long-term impact on patient care, particularly for those with critical illnesses.