Yoon says providing prompt medical treatment is state’s constitutional responsibility

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a cabinet meeting at the government complex, in Seoul, Feb. 26. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday it is the state’s constitutional responsibility to provide timely and proper medical treatment to sick people, apparently referring to the ongoing walkout by trainee doctors nationwide.

Yoon made the remark during a weekly meeting with senior secretaries, according to presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung.

“Ensuring the people receive timely and proper treatment when they are sick is the core of welfare and the constitutional responsibility of the state,” he was quoted as saying.

Thousands of intern and resident doctors in major general hospitals in Seoul and elsewhere have walked off the job since last Tuesday in opposition to the government’s plan to raise admissions to medical schools to address a shortage of doctors. (Yonhap)