Doctors are seen outside a Seoul-based hospital on Dec. 11. (Yonhap)
Doctors are seen outside a Seoul-based hospital on Dec. 11. (Yonhap)

About 70 percent of surveyed Koreans feel fatigue and stressed out by the prolonged medical strike in the country, while more than half felt the country does not have enough doctors, a survey showed Tuesday.

Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Health recently conducted a survey of 1,000 adults across the country for their perception on the government’s medical reform plans, which centers on a contentious plan to expand medical staffing by increasing the enrollment quota at medical schools.

Most of the respondents expressed discomfort with the ongoing medical strike, which begin last February with a mass walkout of trainee doctors, according to the survey commissioned to Hankook Research. In addition to 70 percent who said they are stressed out by the conflict, 69 percent said the current dispute could have been avoided.

When asked about the cause of the current conflict, 61.9 percent said it was because the government failed to come up with a feasible solution and gain the trust of those involved before announcing its reform plans. Some 54 percent said the situation would not be resolved naturally in the current state, while 38 percent called for a completely different solution and 35.4 percent said a revised government plan is needed.

Over half of respondents (57.5 percent) said the government is not effectively communicating with the public on its policy and conflict with the medical service, and 75.1 percent said the public and patients are likely to be left out amid the ongoing standoff. Many Koreans felt they are powerless in the standoff that will soon enter its 12th month, as 74.5 percent said the public and patients do not have any power in helping to resolve the ongoing conflict.

While having issues with the government's approach, the survey showed that the majority of respondents generally agreed there is a problem in medical circles which need to be addressed. Some 57.7 percent said the country did not have enough doctors, while 26.9 percent said it does have sufficient number medical staff.

Only 6.5 percent said the country had more than enough doctors, while the rest did not comment on the issue.

About 87.6 percent agreed that an imbalance of medical staff between regions -- metropolitan areas having far more doctors than rural areas -- was a serious problem.

On the medical reform plans themselves, 61 percent of respondents said they agree with the government plan to increase the number of medical staff, and 63.3 percent concurred with a fair compensation plan for doctors -- which involves giving incentives for those committed to essential health care. About 69 percent said they agree with the plan to provide a safety net for medical malpractice, which includes reducing doctors' financial burden for related lawsuits, and 76.3 percent said they approve of plans to reinforce medical services in the rural regions.